Goodbye, 2013!

2013. We started a bajillion projects and finished nearly none of them, but nearly-finished most. That's how we roll. Anyway, I've randomly compiled 13 highlights for 2013:

1. Harper turned 2! She is officially talking up a storm, and many people can understand much of what she's saying. Sky helps to translate whatever is misunderstood. Harper is also mostly potty trained, when it's convenient for her to be potty trained and when using the potty doesn't interfere with playing. She started preschool and loves her teacher and friends. Harper wants to do everything and anything. She's too brave for my sanity. She's hilarious and sweet and wild.
2. Sky turned 5! (On the 5th! Golden Birthday!) Ahhh! She started Transitional Kindergarten and breaks out of her shy-shell a little more every day. She loves her friends and LOVES to learn. She's currently into adding and phonetic spelling, and very, very much into coloring and art. For Christmas, her one gift request was an inventor's kit. I love the way her brain works. Sky is funny, smart, and creative, and wants to do anything that will end in laughing.
3. We got chickens! We successfully raised 7 baby chicks into hen-hood and learned many great uses for eggs. Our most common usage for the eggs is Giving Them Away. (In the sunniest months, we were getting 3.5 dozen eggs per week. A person just can't--and shouldn't--eat that many eggs.)
4. Mike's Motorola-owned employer, 3LM, was absorbed into Motorola. So Mike now works for Motorola for realsies. So...that.
5. We started to build a coffered ceiling in our family room in February. We are still working on this project.
6. We put off our ceiling project to work on a chicken coop! We built the chicken coop, but have yet to paint the run. Because apparently 'unfinished' is the new finished. Also, apparently 'chicken coop' and 'chicken condo' are synonyms.
7. Mike installed lighting throughout our cave  house. We can see! It's a miracle!
8. Got a new car! Bye bye, Jeep. You were swell.
9. We made the long drive to Utah this summer. The girls had so much fun at my grandparents' houses! We explored the lovely Utah Valley and even took the kids on a small tour of BYU, which apparently has made Skylar into a BYU fan for life. Yesterday she bit her PB&J sandwich into a 'Y' shape and told me, "Look, Mom! A 'Y' for BYU." Goooo Cougars!
10. We ate a lot of doughnuts.
11. Mikey and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary and 12th dating anniversary. Mike and I went on more dates this year than in any of our previous married years, including the pre-kid years (we were poor students). This is mostly thanks to the babysitting abilities of Ted and Gabrielle, aka Grandma and Grandpa. My sanity is a fragile balloon at the end of a string which is held by the blessed fist that is Date Night.
12. We took two trips to Shelter Cove with my family. We always have a great time, but the trips get better and better as Harper gets older. We saw many gorgeous sunsets over the Pacific Ocean!
13. I turned 29 on the 29th. Yes, it was my Golden Birthday, too. I was a Golden Girl, but without the white hair. I had hoped to be showered in gold, but some dreams are obviously dreams for a reason. 2013 was a wonderful year to help me say goodbye to my precious, beloved twenties. I'll never forget you, Twenties! It was an incredibly busy year with very little sleep and almost no reading on my part. Lots of painting, sawing, drilling, and planning. Only 14 books, according to Goodreads. I just can't even.

So thanks, 2013. You were great, but we'll never see you again. We're different now, and there's no going back. You'll always be in our hearts and taxes. And in the photos. All the photos.

December Harpisms

12.11
Harp, very seriously: "I eat my boogers."
Me: "..."

12.13

Me: "What would you like for Christmas, Harper?"

Harp: "Um. Presents."

Me: "What types of presents?"

Harp: "Christmas presents."

12.19
Sky: "Harp, can you please put the kitty in her home?"
Harper, sadly: "No. Not today..."
Sky: "You always say that."
Harp, sighing: "Yeah..."

12.26
(I picked up a knitting hobby earlier this month, so there are balls of yarn and knitting needles hanging around)

Sky: "Harper, would you like me to teach you how to knit?"

Harp: "Oh, yeah! Sure!"

Sky: "Okay. Who would you like to knit for?"
Harp: "Um, me."

Sky: "You can knit for someone. Like a present."

Harp: "Oh. I will knit for Miss Libby. She's my beeeeeest friend."

12.28

Harp, to no one in particular: "Wendy's at the North Pole."
Me: "Yep. She is."
Harp: "Wendy's making mine presents."

12.30

Harper, to Sky, with finality: "I am your best friend."

later that day:

Harp, randomly to Mike: "My monok."
Mike: "What?"
Sky, pointing to Harper's Butterfly in a Jar toy on the table: "That's her monarch."

12.31
Me: "Time to get out of Dad's car, Harp."
Harp: "No! Me want to stay in Dad's car!"
Me: "You've been in there for a long time. You need to come out."
Harp, crying: "Me want to stay here...forever."
Me: "Forever? Why?"
Harp, still crying, climbing into the back seat: "Because me like it."

December Skyisms

12.1
(Wendy is our Christmas Elf)
Sky: "I FOUND WENDY! Come on, you gotta see this!"
Me: "Okay!"
Sky: "She made a swing and she's hanging from the chandelier!"
Me: "Cool!"
Sky: "AND she changed into a new sweater!"
Me: "Wow!"
Sky: "I can't believe it. I can't believe she came on the same day that we put up our Christmas tree. I can't believe she did that!"

12.6
Me: "What would you like for Christmas, Sky?"
Sky, thinking: "I would like an inventor's kit."
Me, surprised by this sudden unsolicited request: "An inventor's kit? What will you invent?"
Sky: "Anything!"

12.11
Sky: "Is there a game called poker?"
Me: "Yes."
Sky: "But we don't have it?"
Me: "No."
Sky: "Hmm..."

12.18
(Watching an episode of Phineas and Ferb. The school bully is singing a song about missing the school nerd.)
Bully: "...there's a nerd-sized hole in my heart..."
Sky: "A NERD! That's so tiny!"

12.25
Sky: "MOM! SANTA CAME!"
Me: "He did?!"
Sky: "You gotta come see! There are lots of presents! Ohhh, I hope I got that inventor's kit..."
{fumbling out to the family room, I turn the corner to see the girls jumping for joy, pointing at the Christmas tree yelling things like "look!" and "presents!" and "Santa!"}
Sky: "Look at everything, Mom! I didn't even ASK for all of these presents!"

later that day:

Me: "Did you get what you wanted, Sky?"
Sky: "Yep. I was out of days to think of what else I wanted."

even later that day:

Sky: {crying}
Me: "What's wrong, Sky?"
Sky: "I'm really going to miss Wendy when she goes back to the North Pole."
Me: "She has to go, though. She needs to make presents and work really hard so she can take time off to hang out with us again next Christmas."
Sky: "I just really love her."
{Wendy decided to stick it out one more night. She snuggled Sky all night long. Sky is still happy about this a week later.}

12.30
Sky: "Driving seems easy."
Me: "It does?"
Sky: "But not cooking."
Me: "Ah."
Sky: "Swimming seems easy, too."
{a minute later}
Sky: "Actually, driving seems hard because I don't know how to get to places. Maybe if you drew me a picture, I could make a path, and...hmm..."
Me: "A map?"
Sky: "Yes! A map. That would make it easy."

12.31
Sky: "Why is today the last day of 2013? Why is it turning into 2014?"
Me: "Because today is the last day of the year. There are 365 days in a year, and today is the last day in this year. A new year starts tomorrow."
Sky: "Hmm. Okay."

November Harpisms

11.1
Me: "Thanks, you little honey bear!"
Harp: "Me not honey bear! Haha! Me not your honey bear, Mom!"
Me: "You are my honey bear! I could gobble you up."
Harp: "No! Me not chocolate!"

11.2

Harp: "I'm pissed off."
Me: "What?!"
Harp: "I'm pissed off."
Me: "Um...you're upset?"
Harp: "I'm okay."

11.14
Harp: "Mommy, me don't want mine shadow."
Me: "Why not?"
Harp: "Because me don't want it."
Sky: "Just keep your shadow."
Harp: "Me don't want it, Sky."
Sky: "Turn around. Look. It's your shadow on the wall."
Harp, crying: "Me don't want that shadow."
Sky: "The only way to get rid of your shadow is to get rid of yourself. Like, get back in Mom's tummy."

11.21
Me: "It's Pink World over by Harper!"
Harper {wide-eyed, stares at me and removes her finger from her nose}
Sky: "Huh?"
Me: "Pink bowl, pink kitties, pink jammies."
Sky: "Harp was just picking her nose."
Harper, still staring at me like a deer in headlights, slowly breaks into a grin then carries on with breakfast.

11.30
Harp: "Where's dad?" 

Me: "He's sleeping."
Harp: "He's not going to work?"
Me: "Nope. Not today."
Harp: "Oh! Work's done?! Work is all gone now?!"

November Skyisms

11.8
Sky: "Pick me up again!"
Mike: "I'm super tired. I just got home. Daddy had a suuuuper busy day today."
Me: "Did you get anything finished?"
Mike: "I got a whole lot done."
Sky: "Well, how much money did you get?"
Me: "Yeah! That's all we care about!"
Mike: "I didn't get money."
Sky: "Why not?"
Mike: "I got enough work done to keep my job."
Sky: "Well, don't do that. Don't get enough done to keep your job."
Mike: "But then I wouldn't have a job, and we'd have to sell all of our stuff!"
Sky: "And we'd get to live underneath a tree?! With our two cats?!"

11.8

Mike: "You might want to clean up your puzzle so you don't ruin all the pieces by stepping them."

Sky: "Umm can you do it? I'm full...of cleaning."

Mike: "You're full of cleaning?"

Sky: "Yeah."

11.14
Sky: "It's Nice Day!"
Me: "Kids, sit down so we can eat!"
Sky: "Mom? Remember? It's Nice Day today. That means only be nice."
Me, grumbling: "You have to eat to be nice..."

11.17

Me: "Only one more cabinet to paint, Sky! Just one cabinet. And eight chairs...and a table. But once those are done, everything will be painted!"

Sky: "Yep. And THEN will we be able to have more play dates?"

11.30
Our elf, Wendy, returned from the North Pole to hang out at our house until Christmas. The kids LOVE Wendy. This Skyism occurred at 7am. Mike and I were sleeping and all was lovely when our door suddenly flew open and:

Sky: "MOM! WENDY'S BACK!"

Harp: "MOM, WENDY'S BACK!"

Sky: "She's on the cabinet! The one you painted. The old one that you just painted, not the other one you painted. Come see!"

Harp: "Come see!"

Sky, running back into the room: "She's on a book! She brought a book! Come see!" (Runs away)

Harp runs in: "She's on a book! Come see!" (Runs away)

October Harpisms

Oh, Harp. This girl really makes me laugh! Her mannerisms add so much to the hilarity; I wish I had all of these moments on video.

10.3
Harp (working on a puzzle): "Hey! I did it! I'm awesome."

10.7
Harp: "Me come play with you, Mom! Me best friend!"

10.8
Harp: "Abe-C-D RED, Abe-C-D RED! I SPELL RED! I SPELL RED!"
(This was Harper singing a song Sky learned at TK. The real lyrics are, "R-E-D: RED; R-E-D: RED. I can spell RED. I can spell RED," sung to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?")

10.9
Harp: "I'm mad at the ghost."
Me: "What?"
Sky: "She's mad at the ghost."
Me: "Why are you mad at the ghost?"
Harp: "The ghost take all my stuff."
Me: "He's just a silly klepto ghost."
Harp: "Yeah."

10.15

Mike talking to me: *talk talk talk talk*

Harper, trying to get Mike's attention: "Hey."

Mike: *talk talk talk*

Harper, 2 seconds later: "Dad."

Me: *talk talk talk*

Harper: "Hey, stop talking."

10.23

Harp, proudly: "Me been going potty ALL DAY!"

10.24
Harper, eating a Fruit by the Foot: "Mmm. Dis yum is big."
Me: "Which one is big?"
Harper: "Dis um. Froop Roll Up by Fet."

October Skyisms

For the record, I did create this post and keep track of these -isms in October. I just neglected to do anything about it until December 31. Just as I neglected November and December, but here they all come as one final 2013 HURRAH!!!

10.2
Sky: "How many more days until my birthday?"
Me: "Three!"
Sky: "Three! Yeah, but will Dad be there?"
Me: "Yes."
Sky: "But he's getting home in three more days."
Me: "Dad will be home in two days."
Sky: "Which day is my birthday?"
Me: "Saturday."
Sky: "Which day does Dad get home?"
Me: "Friday."
Sky: "Okayyyyy..."
Me: "He'll be home for your birthday, Sky."
Sky: {singing the days of the week song to decide whether I'm telling the truth or lying, because obviously this is something I would lie about}

10.3
Sky: "Okay, now I know the rule..."
Me: "Which rule?"
Sky: "Do not put stuffed animals in your mouth!"

10.3
Sky (sighing): "Is it 10:00 yet?"
Me: "Nope."
Sky: "Ughhhh. I'm diving for a snaaaack..."

10.16
Sky, while riding circles on her bike, singing a song she made up this week ("she rocking, she's rolling, she's ready to be in the race!"): "I'm going to take my training wheels off sometime. When I'm 6 or 10."

10.18

Sky, yawning: "I think I've already yawned four times."
A few minutes later:
Sky, yawning: "Five yawns! That's my Golden Yawn!"
Me: "Hahaha! It is!"
Sky: "When you yawn 29 times in one day, that'll be your Golden Yawn."

10.23
Overheard while making dinner as the kids played/fought outside:
Harp: "Ahhhhhhh!"
Sky: "HARP! DON'T TELL MOM! - {panicking} - Harp! Come back here, I'll tell you what to say!"

10.29
Sky: "Are we ever going to move out of this house?"
Me: "I don't know."
Sky: "I hope not. Because how would we get the chicks and the chicken coop there? "
Me: "We'd figure it out."
Sky: "Maybe we'd use one of those big boxes."
Me: "Mmhmm."
Sky: "But they'd each need special seatbelts."

A Surprisingly Long Thought

I've been a bad blogger. That's obvious by the fact that I haven't been blogging.

I have been busy, though. Not overly busy--I do watch TV on occasion. But I keep busy playing with kids, cleaning, carpooling, hanging things on walls, snuggling, painting, eating, reading, sleeping, and all sorts of other daily mom/human things. The "eating" part probably consumes most of my time, but I do spend plenty of hours on all that parenting and living business.

Oh, parenting. Even excluding the day-to-day requirements and frustrations of having children, this parenting stuff is the most exhausting and heavy job in the world. When you become a mother, no one ever warns you how completely inadequate you will feel at almost all times of every day, both in sleeping and waking hours. No one ever tells you that, from the moment a child becomes a part of your life, you'll be wracked with worry and guilt and stresses you could never have even thought up before plunging heart first into the mysterious world of parenting. No one warns you that you'll feel overwhelmed and overjoyed and insufficient and overqualified and under qualified and bewildered and ecstatic and heartbroken and choked up and baffled and silly and completely exasperated--all at the same time.

No one warns you that, even on your best days, you'll end up on your knees at night praying to be better, praying to be kinder, praying that your kids will forgive you for your countless faults and imperfections and hopefully remember how hard you really, really tried.

Right now I feel like I've lost control of most areas of my life, but tiny successes occasionally flicker bright enough to give me some hope that I'm not letting the entire world down. I don't need much encouragement, actually. Things like managing to write down some Skyisms and Harpisms so we can remember their cuteness forever, or watching my kids sleep at night before I go to bed (a sleeping child means I managed to get my kids to sleep. In their beds!); feeding my family a healthy and balanced meal, or my kids saying "thank you" without being coached, or even just going to bed with a clean kitchen. These tiny victories manage to carry me from day to day without a trip to the loony bin. Sleep and chocolate also have a large and necessary hand in my so-called sanity.

Tonight I came across a small tidbit of advice that hit me with enough force to inspire this, a magical and rare blog post! I scrolled past an article on Pinterest while looking up a cake recipe and decided to give it a go. One small section of the article read:

"Remember that not everything your child does is a reflection of you or your parenting. That temper tantrum in the parking lot that all your friends saw? Not what everyone’s talking about. The hysterics on aisle 3 in the grocery store? Nobody else is speculating that you’re to blame. “Maybe your child was hungry or exhausted,” posits Dr. Klagsbrun. “Every meltdown is not a sign that you’re failing.”"

This paragraph is true and false. There is always someone watching and there is always someone speculating that I, the mother, am to blame for my kids' behavior. But who cares? There will always be someone to kick you when you're down. There will always be judging eyes and upturned noses to make you feel like dirt and convince you that your kids deserve a better role model. There will always be someone who thinks you can do better. And we can all do much, much better.

But that last sentence: "Every meltdown is not a sign that you're failing." That is true, and that is exactly what I needed to read. What do I care if someone else thinks my kid is misbehaving? If someone thinks my kid is misbehaving, my kid probably IS misbehaving. I'm already aware of it and I'm trying to teach my kid a better way to behave.

I'm glad some stranger somewhere wrote an article to tell strangers elsewhere that they aren't all failing at parenting. Apparently it's something I needed to hear/read, because I just released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Kids, if you read this some day: I'm trying to be the mom you deserve! I really hope I'm not failing. I'm definitely failing at blogging. This post was only meant to be a small blurb, and now look at it! You probably didn't even read far enough to get to this part because, man, this post is really long. I can't even proof-read it. So, here's to trying harder! Hurrah!

September Harpisms

Harper is a little charmer. She's very much into giving compliments and she makes me feel great every single day! Whether she's saying, "Love it, hair, Mom!" or "Love it, shirt, Mom!" or "Love it, eyes, Mom!" she just melts my heart. I love this girl so much.

She may cause lots of unintentional (plus some very intentional) trouble and she may be constantly putting herself in harm's way--aging me before my time--but she is also the sweetest, most conscientious little toddler in the world. Always the first to share her treats and to prepare snacks for every person in the house without being asked. Always wanting to give hugs and kisses and pray over our meals. Always the first to ask, "Are you okay, Mom?" if I get hurt. She's also hilarious. See below.

9.1
Mike, Cade and I took Harper for her first ocean ride around the cove in the very classy Seahawk dingy. Harper LOVED it. When we pulled up to shore:
Me: "All done, Harp!" Did you love it?"
Harp, wide-eyed: "Turn it around, Mom! Do it again!"

9.1
I was throwing rocks into the ocean with Harper. She would wait for a wave to wash in, then would throw a rock and watch it wash back out and wouldn't throw another rock until the water was at her feet again. At one point, the waves stopped and the water didn't wash back up.
Harp: "Oh no!"
Me: "What's wrong?"
Harp: "Oh no! Ocean's dead!"

9.12

Harp, wearing a wry little smile: "Love it mumblemumblemumble, Mom."

Me: "What do you love?"

Harp, turning to me with sneaky eyes: "Love it pick nose, Mom."

9.16
Harper: *gets hurt for the millionth time today*
Me, hugging her: "Oh, Harper. If you would just be careful your whole life would change. You wouldn't get so many ouchies!"
Harper: "Umm, okayyyyy..."

9.25 (and many additional days this month)
Harper, in her room: "...ever. EVER!"
Me: "Why is Harper yelling 'ever' Sky?"
Sky: "Who knows."
Me: "Harper, what's wrong?"
Harp: "Nothing."
Me: "Why are you yelling 'ever' in your room?"
Harp: "I don't know."
("EVER" is what she yells when she's mad. As in "I won't play with you EVER AGAIN!" or "I will NEVER eat food or be happy or sleep EVER AGAIN!" Usually she's yelling about never playing with Sky, ever again, because she wants the iPad. I don't always scold her for it because it's just so funny. She's so tiny and nonthreatening!)

9.26
(This was the very first thing she said to me on this morning. She's been pushing this latest desire for about a week.)
Me: "Good morning, Harpy!"
Harp, rubbing her eyes: "Me go get mine ears pierced, Mom?"
Me: "Um. Good morning?"
Harp: "Hi..."

9.26
Later in the day as Sky and Harper were playing next to each other:
Harp: *toots*
Sky: "Don't toot, Harp."
Harp (sadly): "Please let me toot, Sky..."

September Skyisms

A few cute and silly Skyisms to brighten your morning!

9.1

When we visit Shelter Cove, the girls like to sleep in the huge walk-in closet in the bedroom we sleep in. It's the perfect size for the two of them. They cuddle up in their sleeping bags and bring their night lights and animals and refer to the closet as "our room."
Sky (hollering from the closet): "DAD, CAN YOU PLEASE COME IN?"
Me: "What's up, babe?"
Sky: "Mom, can you put Harp in my sleeping bag?"
Me: "Aww. Look, she's already asleep. You know, you girls roll around a lot while you sleep so I don't think you'll both fit without crashing into each other. You are so sweet, Sky."
Sky: "Okay. I'll just sing her lullabies then."
Me: *heart singing with motherly joy*
Sky: "...and hold her hand. I'll sing quietly."
As I left, I could hear Sky singing a lullaby in her sweetest voice.

9.2
Sky: "I spy with my little eye something that is black."
Mike: "Black?"
Sky: "It's on the bottom of my shoe, and it's..."
Mike: "Is it the bottom of your shoe?"
Sky: "...I gave it away, didn't I?"

9.11
Sky (pointing to potatoes on her plate): "Are these good? Or are these potatoes?"
(10 minutes later, eating a bit of potato with a disgusted look on her face)
Sky: "I wish these were the smashed potatoes..."

9.18

Me (showing Sky a picture of my cousin's new triplets): "Look at the tiny babies!"
Sky: "Gasp! Oh! They're cute-ing me up!"
(Side note: they cuted me up, too. They're adorable.)

9.24
Me: "Dad has to go to Chicago."
Sky: "Aww."
Me: "Yeah."
Sky: "Then just remind me that day to give him a huge, gigantic, enormous hug!"
Me: "I will!"

Sky: "That time, it will turn him into tiny pieces! It'll be THAT huge!"
(It WAS that huge!)

9.30

Sky: "I actually really like being four. I wish I didn't grow up to be five."

Me: "Why not?"

Sky: "Because I just like being four."

(a few minutes later, hollering while washing her hands in the bathroom)

Sky: "I think I'll like being five, because then I can reach the sink better!"

August Harpisms

All month long Harper has been saying things are "SO FUNNY, Mom!" and "SO cute, Mom!" I love her emphasis on the "SO!" She's one of a kind, and always good for a juicy kiss and tight little squeeze. I love this girl! :)

8.3
Mike: "Sky, go eat some breakfast so we can go to Home Depot."
Harp: "Home Depot? YAYYYY! Me too, Dad!"

8.6
Harp: "Ooooh! Pretty!"
Sky: "Huh? Oh, yeah. That's our family. That's Dad, that's Mom, that's me and that's you, Harp. Do I look pretty or what?"
Harp: "Or what."

8.7
Me: *puts owl necklace on, turns around*
Harp: "Wow! LOVE it, owl, Mom!"
Me: "Thanks, Harp!"
Harp: "You welcome, Mom. Pretty dress?"
Me: "I'm wearing these pants today."
Harp: *leaves room*

8.7
Harp (in the car): "Mom, o-pod fitink dead."
Me: "What? The iPod is what?"
Sky: "Freaking dead."
Me: "Harper, say it again."
Harp: "Dead."
Me: "What's dead?"
Harp: "O-pod."
Me: "But what kind of dead?"
Harp: "Fitink."
Sky: "She's saying freaking. It's freaking dead."

8.11
Harp: "Ooh! Love it, pretty dress, Mom!"
Me: "Thanks, Harp!"
Harp: "You're welcome."

8.12

Harp: " Like it, hair, Mom!"

Me: "Thanks, Harp!"

8.14
Me: (asking Harper to help with anything, all day, her only response was "I did!")
Harp: "Ah did!!!!!"
Sky: "Say it again, Harp! Say, 'o did.'"
Harp: "Ah did!!!!!!"
Sky: "Again!"
Harp: "AH DID!!!!!!!"

8.21
(while snuggling Harper in her room)
Harp: "Love it snuggle you, Mom."
Me: "I love snuggling you too, Harp."

8.24

Me: "Are you excited to start preschool soon?"

Harp: "Preschool? Yeah! Let's go!"

Me: "Not right now, babe. But soon!"

Harp: "Soon?"

Me: "Yes! Soon."

Harp: "Skylar, go to TK. Harper, go to preschool. Soon!"

8.28
Me: "Harp!!! Did you have a great first day at preschool?!?!"
Harp: "LOVE IT, preschool! Love it, Mom! Play-Doh! Snack!"
(Safe to say she loves preschool.)

August Skyisms

8.2
*during breakfast*
Sky: "Finally!"
Me: *Glances in Sky's direction*
Sky: {sitting on the windowsill} "I've been trying this for 14 times! Finally I got it!"
Me: *smiles and nods*

8.6
(ALL DAY LONG, said with strong emphasis on YOU'RE)
Sky: "You're a pteranodon!"
Me: "I'm a human!"
Sky: "You're a pteranodon!"
Me: "I'm a mom!"
Sky: "You're a pteranodon!"
Me: "I'm a pteranodon..."

8.11
Sky: "What the heck is that kind of Earth?"
Mike: "That's the United States."

8.12
Sky: "Yes."
Harp: "No."
Sky: "Yes!"
Harp: "No!"
Sky: "Yes!!!"
Harp: "No!!!:
Sky: "For the last time: YES."

8.14
Sky: "Why are there so many trees, Mom??? I don't want it to be like a FOREST."
Me: "You don't want it to be like a forest?"
Sky: "NO!"
Me: "Okay. Why not?"
Sky (quietly): "Bears..."

8.15
Sky: "What happened to all the water?"
Me: "Where?"
Sky: "All that water that used to be in Utah."
Me: "Um, it evaporated."
Sky: "I think it all just dried up."
Me: "Yep."
Sky: "...but when it rains--BOOP--it'll all just fill right up!"

8.20
Sky: "Mom, are you glad you had Harper?"
Me: "I'm very glad I had Harper. Are you glad?"
Sky (holding hands with Harper): "Yes."

8.21
Sky: "Mom. I just noticed that my side ponytail fell out."
Me: "Oops!"
Sky: "I was so distracted, I thought my hair was just plain!"
Me: "Funny!"
Sky: "...but nooooo, sir!"
(30 seconds later)
Sky: "Ha! I just called you a boy!"

8.22
Sky: "Mom, someday I'm going to..."
Me: "...give me lots of money?"
Sky: "No! I'm never going to do that!"
Me: "What?! Why not? What if you have lots of money? You need to share!"
Sky: "Only one quarter a day."
Me: "One quarter? That's not very much."
Sky: "It's a whole lot! One quarter every day, Mom. That's a lot."

8.26
Sky: "Mom, did you know that there was a time when Harper wasn't cute?"
Me: "There was?"
Sky: "Yes."
Me: "How do you know?"
Sky: "I don't know."
Me: "When was she not cute?"
Sky: "I can't remember, I just remember that there was a time. I don't know the day or anything."

8.27
Sky: "I have that itch in my nose again."
Me: "You keep getting that nose itch."
Sky: "I know. Do you have one?"
Me: "Not right now."
Sky: "Dang. I'm jealous..."

July Harpisms

Most of the funny Harpisms are things she does and faces she makes, but she's known to say funny things too! Here are the two I managed to write down in July.

7.18

Harp: "Here, Mom."
Me: *busy*
Harp: "Here, Mom."
Me: *Apparently taking too long*
Harp: "Here, Kylie! HERE, KYLIE!!!"

7.22

Harp: "Jump. Trampoline."

Me: *waking up*

Harp: "Jump. Trampoline!"

Me: "After breakfast, Harp."

Harp: "Aww....."

7.25

Harp: "Jump. Trampoline?"

Me: "You need to eat your breakfast, Harp."

Harp: *dramatically drops head forward and slow-walks out of the kitchen*

Grandma Pack: "!!!"

7.31

Harp: "Hi, Dad."

Me: "I'm not Dad!"

Harp: "Kylie?"

Me: "Yeah....."

Harp: "Hi, Kylie Mom."

July Skyisms

We took a trip to Utah at the end of July and had a great time! The kids spent half of the vacation jumping on Grandma and Paco's trampoline. We ate a lot of food and visited lots of friends and family. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of Skyisms very well. Understand this: 25+ hours of driving. This doesn't account for the first half of the month, but...sorry.

7.18
Sky: "Mom, watch this!"
Me: "What's up?"
Sky: "Look! When I drop this feather, it falls slowly. Then when I drop this petal, it falls faster. And when I drop this rock: watch!"
Me: "Nice, Sky! You figured that out by yourself!"
Sky: "When I drop them at the same time, the rock is still fastest and the feather is slowest."
Me: "Do you know why that happens?"
Sky: "Because!"

7.21

Sky: "Can I watch a different movie?"
Me: "Sure." *switches out movies*
Sky: "Thanks. DON'T turn it on! I want to watch the previeweses."
Me: "Um, okay."
Sky: "Can I watch the previeweses?"

Me: "Yep."

7.22
*after sitting through a drive-thru car wash adventure*
Sky: "That was so fun! What could be more fun than that?!"

7.28

*Sky and Harper playing*

Harper: {throws something} "Ma hah!"

Sky: "{gasp} HOW DARE YOU!"

An Eggcelent Discovery!

Guess what the girls and I found today? Guess! Oh, you know what it was: we found our first egg!

(Really, though, if you didn't figure it out from the post title you should do some inner searching.)

We almost missed the egg today. We haven't finished the laying boxes yet, so I bought some small dish bins and set them up in the coop with pine shavings and golf balls to give the chickens a little hint as to where to lay their eggs.

I set everything up and I stressed out about leaving town because I thought for sure it would happen while I was away! I would have been so disappointed. The girls would have cried.

But the eggs didn't come while we were gone, so we carried on as usual. We've been checking every day for weeks, since the hens are now of laying age, and so as we performed today's egg check we weren't surprised to find the bins empty once again. We gave the hens some grass and the girls started running back to the house while I closed up the coop. I peeked beneath the coop, as I always do, and almost didn't register the perfect little brown egg sitting happily on the ground.

"Wait, girls!" I yelled. "There's an egg!!!"

Sky and Harp stopped dead in their tracks and flipped around with the cutest, happiest looks on their little faces. They rushed back to the coop and we all walked in to gather our first egg.

Harper said, "The special egg!"

Sky said, "I can't believe it! A real, live egg!"

We don't know which chicken laid this little egg. My friend Emily told me bright red combs mean laying hens, so we've narrowed the possibilities to either Stella, Lacey or Pearl.

It's been five months since we brought home our tiny chicks and gave them funny names. Lots of cleaning, petting, feeding, watering, building, chasing and hopeful egg-checking. To put it plainly, today was a very exciting day for us! Eggciting, even! We're eggstatic! Okay, that's enough.

June Skyisms

This one is late. That's what happens when we go on vacation! (The last one is more of a Harpism.)

6.1
Sky: "Phew! I'm toasted!"
Me: "What does that mean? Are you tired or hot?"
Sky: "It means I'm really hot!"

6.4
*while tucking Sky into bed*
Sky: "I bonked my head on the bed. And yesterday, I bonked my bike on my dike. Wait. What's a dike again? And also, I bonked my knee on the flea."

6.5
Sky: "Mom, can you help me get something that's really hard? It's behind Harp's big girl bed."
Me: "What's behind the bed?"
Sky: "Harper."

6.10

Sky: "I believe fairies are real."

{a few minutes later}
Sky: "I think unicorns exist. Ponies do. I thought they were a legend until I saw one. Some people don't believe they exist."
Me: "You saw one?"
Sky: "Yes! How would I be telling you this if I hadn't seen one? I saw one. It was real, and it was alive. A real pony!"

6.11

Me: "What kind of instrument would you like to play?"

Sky: "A cup?"

Me: "I mean, like a piano or flute or guitar or--"

Sky: "...a cup?"

6.18
Sky, holding a CD: "This looks just like Ireland! Because it's so green!"
Me: "Yeah! Who told you Ireland is green?"
Sky: "Me."
Me: "How did you know to tell you that Ireland is green?"
Sky: "I just knew."

6.24
Me: "What happened to Harp's arm? Did you scratch it, Sky?"
Sky: "No!"
Harp: "Chicken did it."
Me: "A chicken?"
Harp: "Yeah, shaking booty. Chicken did it."
Sky: "..."

Potty Party!

We visited Shelter Cove over Memorial Day weekend. It was a very fun trip! But it did rain most of the time we were there, and apparently rain for Harper = time to potty train.

Harp decided it was time to use the potty and ditch the diapers. She has been amazing at it! I am so impressed by her! We've been sitting her on the potty every day for months before bedtime to get her used to the idea, since she was terrified and jumped up and ran away mid-pee the first two times. I'd decided not to try harder at potty training until Harper was ready.

Guess she's ready! It's not a full-time thing yet, but she's had no #1 accidents at all and she hasn't even required any treat or sticker motivation. If only she'd stop trying to change her own #2s it would be a complete dream ride!

Amazing. Potty on, Harp.

May Skyisms

May's Skyisms are few. Not because I didn't write them down; Sky just wasn't funny in May. Completely boring. You'll see.

5.8
(Sky has been in a socks-only funk for about two months. I've asked her many times why she won't wear any shoes without socks and I never got an answer. This, out of nowhere:)
Sky: "I'm really into socks because I don't like to see my own feet."

5.16
Sky: "Knock knock!"
Me: "Who's there?"
Sky: "Sky."
Me: "Sky who?"
Sky: "What? I can't believe you forgot your own Sky!!!"

5.22

Sky (in her room): "Work. Work! If you don't work...ugh, I'm FREAKING OUT!"
(A minute later): "I'M FREAKING OUT!!!"

Sky (walking up to me, frowning): "Mom, I'm blahblahblahblah, but it won't work."

Me: "What are you trying to do?"

Sky: "I'm trying to watch Justin Time on the iPad, but it won't work."

(So she yells at the iPad. Things are getting dramatic around here.)

5.30
Me: "We should make birthday cards for Dad."
Sky: "Nah."
Me: "What?"
Sky: "I already told him I'm going to make him a picture on the day after the day after the day of tomorrow."
Me: "What now?"
Sky: "Wait. What's tomorrow?"
Me: "Friday."
Sky: "I already told Dad I'm going to make him a picture the day after tomorrow, on Saturday, with all of his favorite things."
Me: "That's a good --"
Sky: "...and all of my favorite things. And all of YOUR favorite things. And all of Harper's FAVORITE THINGS!"
Me (slowly closing door): "Goodnight Sky..."

5.31
(After a month of telling everyone, "My dad is 27, but my MOM is 29! heheheheeeee!")
Sky: "NOW Dad is 28."

(Later that day, overheard while Sky was in the bathroom:)
Sky: "Grab a tooth and put it in, now you can repair your grin! (Pause.) Sigh. This is taking a while..."

Dang it...

Harper is talking nonstop these days. And those days. All the days.

She has some funny things to say and she has a good grip on expressing emotions, but she's also really into that cool flailing-on-the-ground-because-she-wants-marshmallows stage. Two is an exciting age.

Earlier this week, I got Harper out of bed and dressed her in a shirt and pants. I fed the girls breakfast, cleaned up a bit, then walked to my bathroom ready myself for the day.

Let's jump into story time:

As usual, as I've been out of sight for more than 30 seconds, in strolls Harper. Her head is down, right hand in her pocket. She stops just short of the bathroom and sadly declares, "Dang it..." This said with the help of a defeated hand gesture from her tiny left hand.

I ask what is wrong and she replies, depressingly, "Dancing..." Frown on downturned face, right hand still in pocket, more defeated hand gestures from lefty.

I ask again what she's upset about, then ask her to show me.

Harper takes off like a shot, running to her room as fast as she can! I follow. When we get to her room, she runs to the closet and tries to pry the broken doors open. "Dress!" she yells. "Dancing!"

I wish I had a video clip to remember the utter sadness of my 2-year-old Harper as she realized, an hour later, that her mother had dressed her in pants and not a dancing dress. And then a clip of her huge smiling face while I change her into a dress. A clip of her twirling the day away, no cares in the world.

Two really is a fun age. Emotions can range from one extreme to the next in a matter of seconds, and all it takes to snap a girl from her depressed state is to nix the pants and put on a dancing dress. Oh, how I love this funny little girl!

The Dangers of Hoarding

Harper hoards books in her bed, Sky hoards snow globes in a box. The hazards associated with such hoarding have caused for a long morning at our house.

After removing the 30 books from Harp's bed four times last night, I thought we were in the clear. Unfortunately, the books found their way back into Harper's bed sometime between 11pm last night and 7:30am this morning where we discovered Harper sitting among her books with a huge poopy diaper. Sadly, The Pigeon Has Feelings Too experienced a quick, stinky end. The girls were upset.

After a little bath, I got Harper dressed while Mike (who is luckily working from home today--lucky for me, not him) cleaned up Harper's bed. I called the girls to the kitchen for breakfast.

Sky thought it would be fun to have her snow globes at the table during breakfast, and so put them in a little box to protect them along the short walk from bedroom to table. The little box fell out of her hand before she even hit the kitchen, and two of three globes met their end as they smashed together in the little box. Her Hawaii souvenir from last fall and angel globe are done for. The lone survivor: a dollar store Easter globe.

It is now 9am. The washer is running and our ugly carpet is sparkling. Both kids are fed and semi-devastated. Here's to hoping for some better kid luck today!

Epingo!

My favorite new Harper word is "epingo!"

Can you guess what it is?

It's pink. It has great balance. It's the first exhibit at the Oakland Zoo...

Flamingo! 

Did you guess it? Winner winner chicken dinner! Or flamingo dinner.

Harper loves epingos so much. She REALLY loves epingos. Her favorite shirt has a pink epingo on it! Next time you see her, ask her to say flamingo. You won't be sorry.

Book Hoarder

We've become major book lovers around here. You know that. We all like to read a little before we go to sleep, but (as is almost always the case) Harper is really pushing limits.

As I leaned over her crib to check on her tonight, I found not the allotted three books in her bed, but 33 BOOKS. 33!

There were books on top of Harper and Harper was on top of books! I found books tangled in her blankets and hiding under her animals. Book imprints on her arms and cheeks!

Oh, Harper. Always entertaining, this one! I love her endless, goofy antics. Book-love is a plus in my book, so read on, Harp!

April Skyisms

Sky's word of the month in April was "astonishing." She learned it from My Little Pony (so she says) and decided it was best used to describe beautiful things.

Her drawings also improved big time last month. Everything she colored was astonishing beautiful!

4.3
Sky: "Mom, is this pretty?"
Me: "Yes."
Sky: "Is it pretty, or is it astonishing beautiful pretty?"

4.5
Me (singing): "I was young, younger than before..."
Sky: "Yeah? Well was she younger than me?"

4.6
Sky: "Harper! No, no, no."
...
Harp: "Yes, yes, yes!"

4.8
Sky: "Mom, I have love to everyone I know, and everyone I've met."

4.10
Sky: "Mom, is this a beautiful picture?"
Me: "It is!"
Sky: "Is it ASTONISHING beautiful?"

4.19
Me: "Sky, they caught one of the bad guys who made the bombs that hurt the race people."
Sky: "Phew! That's really good."
Me: "It is."
Sky: "Those bad guys don't have a lot of love in their hearts."

4.21

Me (singing something, cleaning up dinner)

Sky: "Ready for bed! I need a hug and kiss!"

Me (hug! kiss!)

Sky (running back to her room): "Okay, thanks. You can keep singing now!"

4.22

Sky: "Mom, I'm being a ninja."

Me: "..."

Sky: "Mom, I'm building a ninja house."

*(building ninja house out of misc. furniture)*

Sky: "Mom, ninjas don't let anyone see them, even each other. That's why I'm building this ninja house."

Me: "No, they don't let anyone see them. You're right!"

Sky: "This is a ninja house for me and my ninja pet."

Me: "You have a ninja pet?"

Sky: "Yes, I do. Ninja Jewel!" (holds up her stuffed animal kitten triumphantly)

Me: "Amazing."

Sky: "Okay. I have to cover all the holes in this house, Ninja Mom."

*(covering the holes with blankets)*

Sky: "Everyone's a ninja here. Do you know what a ninja is?"

Me: "What is a ninja?"

Sky: "Huh...It's a ninja!

*(building ninja house)*

Sky: "I'm decorating my ninja house....and...one...pillow--phew!--should do the trick! There. Fantabulous. That means 'great.'"

*(a few minutes later)*

Sky: "Mom, I need garbage bags."

Me: "Why do you need garbage bags?"

Sky: "Can I borrow some garbage bags -- yes or no?"

(Sky proceeded to finish her ninja house. She built a kitty door for Ninja Jewel and collected toys from her room with Harper's help. A flashlight was added to make the ninja house "nice and bright" and, of course, a crown. So many toys and decorations joined the party, in fact, that there was no room left for Ninja Sky! She also decorated it with hair clips and jewelry, and declared on her own: "I know it can't stay like this forever. I know I can't live in this ninja house, Mom.")

4.22

Sky (jabbering on about being bigger than cats and kittens): "Mom!"

Me: "What's up, Sky?"

Sky: "Ladybug poop? I can't even SEE it."

All month long, to everyone she saw:
Sky: "My mom is 29, and my dad is 27! hehehehe!" (covering her mouth with her hand, because HOW CRAZY IS THAT?! Her mom is a total cradle robber!)

Sleepbiter?

Since before Harper had teeth, she's munched on everything. As babies do. Teeth came and the munching left marks on all kinds of things; furniture, cups, utensils, me. She also destroyed several books during nap time when she smuggled them into her crib. I thought she'd grown out of the book destruction stage, but have noticed a few chomped cardboard bits near the edge of her bed recently.

This afternoon, I walked into her room to wake her from her nap. She stretched, then sat up. I said, "Wake up, Harp! Are you ready to get up?"

Harper, completely spaced out, ignored me and picked up a book.

I said, "Harper. Harper?"

She slowly lifted the book to her mouth.

Me: "Harper. Don't eat the book."
Harper: *slowly opens mouth*
Me: "Harp! Don't!"
Harper: *closes mouth*
Me: "Don't bite your books, babe."
Harper: *slowly opens mouth, moves book closer*
Me: "Harp! Stop!"
Harper: *spaced, holding book at open mouth*
Me: "Hey! Hey, Harp! What are you doing?"
Harper: *snaps out of fantasy world and looks up, makes eye contact and slowly smiles.*

As you can see, I'm left with two obvious choices here. I can (1) admit she's part-gremlin; or (2) assume she is a sleepbiter.

My innate love for her causes me to lean toward the latter. Only time shall tell.

Roosting, and other roo news

You know, I intended to post pictures and stories about the chickens. I'm sure you were super excited for that. I was going to post pictures of them being tiny and cute. I was going to introduce them in their own dedicated posts. But guess what? I didn't. And now they are big, and still in my house.

Mike and I started on the chicken coop last week. I bought hardware, we dug the foundation, leveled the area, placed the cinder blocks and filled everything with gravel. Then some attic dudes came to give us a quote for removing the old nasty mystery insulation and blowing in new, happy insulation. The quote was a good one, and so out went the old insulation!

With no insulation in the attic, and with new fluff coming next week, Mike decided that it was time to install ceiling lights (cutting holes in ceilings is WAY easier work in an empty attic). And so the chicken coop was put on hold and Mike got to work electrifying the casa. Now we're partway through three large projects. Also we extended our taxes. We're "those" people.

Chickens. 

The chickens are growing up fast. They're zipping through their nerdy teenage stage and starting to look like real hens! They're starting to sound like real hens, too, which is funny. 

Mike installed a couple of roosts for them to perch on and they are perch-tastic. Sky and Harp help me clean the box often, and we take the chicks outside to scratch around every day (except for Duck, who plays prison-break; she won't be allowed outside again until the coop is ready). They are experimenting with their wings and can flutter for a good five feet. Delilah likes to dive-bomb the others. Sigh, those chicks. They're becoming a lovely pile of girly feathers.

On that note, Mike and I have our suspicions that Lacy isn't all she was cracked up to be. Her feathering isn't quite right for a Silver-Laced Wyandotte of approximately...however old she is. Eight weeks? Anyway, her coloring is off and she is a feisty one. Definitely the leader of the pack, Lacy seems to pick on poor Duck the most, even though Duck is twice her size. There are black feathers constantly wafting around the chicks' little world (as Sky calls it). Pecking orders are totally natural, of course.

But when I pick her up, Lacy fights until I put her back down. She is overly aggressive, and even tries to threaten me through the window. The others squawk, but don't flail and give me the evil eye.

I'm quite sure Lacy would give me the finger, if chickens had fingers, and that look in her eyes...chickens shouldn't be able to freak me out with evil looks!

I think Lacy is a he, and this "she" and "her" business is just wishful thinking. We'll find out for sure soon enough. Supposedly, the crowing will tip us off. With this likely turn of events in mind...anyone want a rooster?

Anum!

Harper is taking her sweety-sweet time with the whole talking thing, which is both okay and not okay. Depending on our combined moods and whether or not I have recently eaten a donut.

Anyway, she has a new favorite word: anum.

You want to guess what it means? Go ahead, guess. Guess! You'll never guess!

Anum = "The other one."

If you guessed that you are greater than me! Which really isn't okay, so don't mention it. I haven't had a donut in several days and even convinced myself to walk away from fresh donuts at the store yesterday because my brain convinced me it was the right thing to do.

It took me a little while to figure out "anum" because Harp says it so often about so many different things. Anum foot, anum bowl, anum ouchie, anum piggie tail, anum fruit snack packet for Hy. Not unlike Harp herself, some of her lingo is sneaky. Like how she calls all horse-type animals "boobah."

Boobah = zebra = hoofed creatures.

Oh, and Hy = Sky. I really haven't blogged much lately, have I? Do you know Hy? That one's been around for months!

I love Harp's crazy words. But my favorite thing Harper says is still "You're cute!" Having a bad day? Come on over! Harp will tell you you're cute and everything will be happy and shiny again!

But don't come over right now. Our house smells like chickens. And anum chickens.

Astonishing!

Sky's new favorite word is astonishing.

She claims to have learned it from My Little Pony. Duh.

Everything is suddenly "astonishing pretty!" or "astonishing, beautiful pretty!"

I wonder if Baltimore is astonishing beautiful?

Game Changers

All the chicks were chirping away very loudly just now, so I skipped over to investigate. Duck and Pearl, both now two months old, seem to be experiencing some teenage angst. Suddenly they are sounding more like chickens than chicks, and it's freaking the whole crew out!

Chicken puberty. Who knew? Cluck cluck cluck...

March Skyisms

This post marks a whole year of Skyisms! Oh, Sky, what a silly girl! Here's a taste what she had to say last month.

3.6
Sky: "Mary had a li-ttle lamb, li-ttle lamb, li-ttle lamb! Mary had a LI-TTLE LAMB with a face as white as snowwwwww."
Me: "Haha! That is so pretty, Sky."
Sky: "What? Isn't that amazing, Mom? She was so white, her FACE was as WHITE as SNOW!"

3.8
Sky: "I love you."
Me: "I love you too!"
Sky (whispering): "No. You're supposed to say I love you more."
Me: "Oh. Sorry."
Sky: "I love you."
Me: "I love you more!"
Sky: "I love you most."
Me: "I love you more than most."
Sky: "I love you all the way to Baltimore and Reno and Grammy's BEACH HOUSE!"
Me: "I love you all the way to...Heaven!"
Sky: "I love you all the way to the Arctic and the Antarctic, and the tops of the trees...and...alllll the way to the SUN!"
(Sky is very good at I Love You battles. Obvi.)

3.12
Sky: "Knock knock."
Me: "Who's there?"
Sky: "Boo."
Me: "Boo who?"
Sky: "Ahhh! There's a GHOST CRIMING OUR HOUSE!!!"
Me: "Crying in our house?"
Sky: "No, criming."
Me: "Criming? What's criming?"
Sky: "...I don't know. I thought you knew."

3.17
Sky: "Mom, HOW did Lucky (the Leprechaun) tape all those things on the top of the doors?"
Me: "I don't know...he's tricky!"
Sky: "Or maybe he used magic..."
Me: "Maybe."
Sky: "Lucky causes so much mischief! Oh, man, I wonder what he's done at Leisa's. I wonder what he's done at EVERY house!"

3.17
Sky: "Mom, there's a feather in the chick's little world!"
Me: "There is? Oh, there is! That's one of Pearl's feathers!"
Sky: "Yeah, I wonder how it got there?"
Me: "One of the other chicks probably plucked it out."
Sky: "No, I don't think that's it. I think it was Lucky."
Me: "I don't think Lucky plucks chicks."
Sky: "It's too bad Lucky pinched all the chicks. We should have put green on them."
Me: "Ohhhhh."
Sky: "Or maybe we should have brought them all with us so they wouldn't be here when Lucky tried to pinch them!"
(Brilliant. Next time we'll definitely bring the chickens to church for 3 hours!)

3.19
Me (singing): "I wanna know what love is! I want you to show meee!"
Sky: "You already KNOW what love is!"

3.20
Sky (pointing at saltwater taffy): "Yum! Those are so yummy!"
Me: "They are! But they're candy, so you can't eat lots of them. If you only eat candy you won't be healthy and you won't be able to play and run and grow up."
Sky: "Oh. Let's never eat candy again. Should we?"
Me: "Should we what?"
Sky: "NEVER eat it again. Never."

3.26
Me: "Daddy is staying home tomorrow and we're going somewhere fun!"
Sky: "Where?!"
Me: "I can't tell you. It's a surprise."
Sky: "Where???"
Me: "Guess."
Sky: "Is it Reno?"
Me: "Nope."
Sky: "Rio?!"
Me: "Hahahaha nope!"
Sky: "Graaaaaammy's beach house?"
(the correct answer was 'the zoo.' That's right, 'the zoo.' She eventually guessed this, but I pretended not to hear.)

3.27
(as the car pulled up to the zoo)
Sky: "Ha! See! I guessed the zoo. I guessed it and I was right! Harp, it's the ZOOOOO!"

3.31
Sky: "Tomorrow is my favoritist day!"
Me: "Why?"
Sky: "Uh, because it's April Fool Day!"
(Good thing she reminded us. She's been looking forward to playing tricks on us for months! Literally. Months.)

3.31
Sky: "You can go lay on the couch, Mom. I'll dry all of these dishes."
Me: "Wow! Thanks, Sky!"
Sky: "It's okay, Mom. You can rest. I'll do it all."

Commemorative Memories

I'm going through the girls' baby clothes, giving away all but my very favorites. Major baby flashbacks going down here!

I just came across this 2008 commemorative Canadian coin set. It must have been put in the clothes bin in one of our moves. Now it is on Sky's special shelf.

Sky thinks it's super cool and is coming up with many reasons why she should be allowed to play with the coins. Harp is totally jealous.

These clothes are making me miss my tiny babies!

Happy Easter!

We are so grateful for the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ, and for this beautiful day to remember that He lives. Easter is a bright reminder for our family to try a little harder and to love one another unconditionally. Here's to another year of growing and learning!

From our family to yours, we hope you have a beautiful Easter Sunday!

*snap* I love you!

If you pulled out the most recent picture you have of me--a picture you took yourself--how recent would it be? What does that say about our relationship?

If you pulled out the 10 most recent pictures you have of me (each from a different date), how far back would you have to go to collect all 10?

What does that say about our relationship?

If you have kids, do you make a habit of keeping current pictures of each of them? (I hope you do! Otherwise you deserve a smack! I'm more than happy to oblige.)

Here's an important question:
Do you make the effort to take pictures with your own camera, pressing the button with your own finger, or do you expect/demand that your kids provide the pictures for you?

Pictures are important, but the act of taking pictures also says a lot about the way you feel about the people in your life.

Every time that shutter snaps under the minimal pressure required by your own little finger, imagine it saying, "I love you!" to the person(s) in your viewfinder(1).

*snap* I love you! *snap* I love you! *snap* I love you!

Pictures help us to remember events; birthdays, outings, vacations, visits. They help us to remember people as they were at different points in their lives. They help us to remember how we were at different points in our own lives! Personally, I'd prefer to erase the convex bangs time of my life, but posterity will appreciate those handful of pictures of me looking like a total moron.

Make the effort. And for goodness' sake, parents, don't over-photograph one kid while leaving the rest to wonder why you love that child more! If pictures speak volumes, then volumes of pictures scream "I'm the favorite! You were found on the doorstep!"

*snap* I love you!

(1)This post does not apply to stalkers, creepos and/or hippos.

Yet another use for her crayons

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/W44MOhThkb/

Delilah Loves Mikey

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/W3ZOXWThlZ/

Distracted Art.

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/W3SRYAThuZ/

Kinectimals is a hit!

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First Camellia!

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What I'm reading.

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Buying garbage bags and stamps?

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Brushing teeth and living free.

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Holding chicks can be tiring.

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Curly post-nap cuteness.

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Painting for Leo. I love Sky.

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Even when she's still, she's moving.

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Progress!

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Stories with Uncle Nick

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Bye Bye Tree

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Finished Bench! Yay!

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Look Who We Found!

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Lunch with Uncle Nick!

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Halfway done with half of the room.

Half half. Half. That doesn't sound like a real word anymore.

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Hostess with the Mostest.

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First time in undies, so she ran to show the chicks.

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Throwback Thursday! The bangs.

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Coming together!

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Brown butter Snickerdoodles! Yum!

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Chick pile!

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Homemade play dough fun!

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Our apricot tree smells amazing!

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Makeup bomber strikes again!

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Joan!

Look who Harp and I ran into today! Joan!



Mikey and I worked with Joan at the UPS Store (Mail Boxes, Etc.) where we packed, shipped and fell in love. Presh.

Joan always accused us of canoodling* in the back. We haven't seen her since at least 2005, possibly longer, and she is turning 80 next month and moving away in May. Harper and I (read: I) just felt like a donut today and thought we'd try a new shop. While we were chowing down, Joan sauntered in! Joan just felt like a donut today, too, and claims these are the best in town.

As Dr. Horrible would say, "What a crazy random happenstance!"

As Joan said, "It's serendipity."

I call it donut magic. Donuts make everything better, and bring old friends together.

*We weren't canoodling in the back.

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Donut date!

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Secret Messages

We're installing the box frames for the coffers. Mike is leaving secret love messages.

Sneaky, sneaky!

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We Love Our Chicks: Week 1

I think I'll have to do a weekly "We Love Our Chicks" post with cute pictures of chick-holders. Mostly Sky and Harper. Probably not weekly, though, because I started this post last week and forgot all about it. That's not a great start.

This is a common sight. Kids sitting on chairs staring at chicks.

Also, chicks sitting on kids.

And chicks attacking kids. (Notice the three chicks on Harp. They love her!)

Delilah wants a cracker? Bwack! (I kind of look like a pirate, too - am I missing teeth? What the?)

Heather and Ross meeting the chicks! Heather has volunteered for chicken tending duties if we are out of town. Woohoo!

"My Precious..." (Harper is great at freaking people out)

I'm posting this now before it never happens, even though there is no picture of Mike. Mike holds the chicks, he does! He really likes them!

Party train!

How great is it that my kids can play with the daughters of friends I went to homecoming with? Crazy. And adorable. Look at them, just LOOK at them!

(Not that one in the background. I have no idea who that kid is.)

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Lines are on the ceiling

I know. You have no idea what's going on in this picture, but it's going to look great!

Let the coffering commence!

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A visit from Zach today! Seven years is a long time!

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No Name. Go.

This little Ameraucana will lay green/blue eggs and will grow up to look like the Bearded Lady of Chickendom! Mike wants to name her Oncey, like the Once-ler from The Lorax. Sky wants her to have a princess name. We all agree that she is adorable.

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Lost cat?

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For @myriah55!

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February Skyisms

Lots of Baltimore talk last month! I wish I could record everything Sky says and play it for you all. And I wish I'd written more of her Skyisms down during February. Sky is awesome.

2.4
Sky: "What are you watching, Mom?"
Me: "Seinfeld!"
Sky: "Again?! Why?"
Me: "Because it's hilarious!"
Sky: "Umm..."
Me: "I'll make you watch it when you're older. Then you'll love it."
Sky: "Okay. Maybe when I'm 21."
...

Sky: "I found this movie! I thought it was lost forever! Look!"
Me: "Oh, Rio! Do you want to watch it?"
Sky: "Nope."
Me: "Really? Why not?"
Sky: "Because you want to watch all the Seinfelds."
Me: "No, we can watch Rio now."
Sky (walking away): "No, thanks. You can keep watching."

2.5
Sky: "...and the farmer probably lives in Baltimore!"
Me: "Baltimore!  Where is Baltimore, Sky? "
Sky: "I don't know! It's very far away. It's in another country. We can't even get there, because it's so far away!"
Me: "Ha!"
Sky: "But the mailman can. He can stay up for a very long time."

2.22

Me: "Sky, look! There's snow on Mt. Diablo!"

Sky: "{GASP!}So that's RENO?!"

2.25

Sky: "I love you as far as Baltimore!"

Me: "Wow! You really like Baltimore, huh?"

Sky: "Yep."

Me: "Do you know where Baltimore is?"

Sky: "Nope."

Me: "Where did you learn about Baltimore?"

Sky: "I just know about it and I like what it's called."

2.26

Sky: "We love our chicks. More than anything in the world."

Me: "You do?"

Sky: "More than butterflies. More than LADYBUGS!"

Me: "That is so great!"

Sky: "But not more than chicks. We love all chicks the most."

2.27
Sky: "No! You stop that, RIGHT NOW. That's it. I'm telling Mom! And I'm not waiting even one minute!"
Sky (walking, walking, walking): "Mom."
Me: "What's wrong?"
Sky: "Duck is stepping on all the other chicks and not listening at all."

2.28
Sky: "{blah blah blah} Baltimore."
Me: "Are you talking about Baltimore again?"
Sky: "Yep."
Me: "Do you want to go to Baltimore?"
Sky: "I don't know. I'm not sure where it is."

These cords don't bother Mike

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Gimme.

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Chick bum.

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