Valentines

Mark and I had predetermined that we weren't going to give each other gifts for Valentines. Although he did buy me flowers on Saturday, but he said it was because I was sick and not for Valentines. I felt bad because I didn't even make him a card or anything. But our play group decided at the last minute to exchange Valentines. It was late at night when I found out we were going to do this, so I decided to just make some cards on the computer. I taped a couple of dum dum suckers to the card. I thought it looked cute. That and I didn't have to buy anything. My kids don't really like suckers, and these we have had since Halloween. I was glad I had done it. I arrived a little late so Alex could finish her morning nap, and when we got there one of the little girls was so excited to share her Valentine's with us. She ran and met the stroller, and gave my girls their Valentine. I thought it was so cute. My girls didn't know what to think of it. They were more interested in getting to the play ground. So I ended up handing out theirs to the other kids. But some of the older girls were glad to receive their cards.
It was a cold day that day, and I think we brought home more than just Valentines. Both of my girls got a cold this week. Alex has gotten it the worst. She has such a drippy nose. I felt so bad I even went out and got her the tissues with lotion in them because I have had to wipe her little nose so often.
I decided I need to document some of the things my girl are doing and saying. First of all Sarah. She was student of the month this month for Academic. She is the best in her class at math. She didn't even have math homework the other day because she had mastered the technique. She is off the chart at reading. She was also awarded student of the month for her art work. She had a school sock hop on Friday. They had a hoola hoop contest, and she was one of the last 4 standing. She was awesome. They stopped it at 4 because they just kept going and going.
Annadele is growing bigger every day. We are still trying to potty train her. She is doing pretty good when it come to going pee, but not once has she tried to go # 2 in the potty chair. I defiantly remember why I don't do cloth diapers. Her daddy has taught her to call me "beautiful mommy". Her big sister has taught her " Oh Snap!", and "like a boss", and some play ground song "My name is Ei, Ei, nick i nie, nick i nie, pom pom poodle, willy willy whisker, my name is Elvis Presley, boys are messy, sittin in hot tub, drinking diet Pepsi..." I love to hear her say, "Oh, that is so stylish." Because of super why she can now sing the whole alphabet song. It is amazing what she picks up. We try not to say "stupid" in our house, and if I do she will catch me and say mommy we don't say that word. Sometimes I have to think about what I said, and then I will realize it.
Both of my girls love to help me when I am cleaning. I had to get a picture of them helping me clean the toilet. Of course there was so much water on the floor and both of them I had to change them. But at least right now they want to be mommy's helpers.
Alex amazes me sometimes. I was just thinking of Annadele at about this age. She is out doing her in some areas. She is getting better at feeding her self. She uses that spoon and fork pretty good. I don't even think we let Annadele even hold the spoon and fork till she was about this age. She is talking more and more. She says mommy, daddy, hi, bye bye, Jesus but more like Jeus, tank u for thank you, tonight I heard yo welcome. She is repeating things more and more. She loves to be with her big sisters. Her new thing is to take everything out of the diaper bag and my purse and strew them all over the house. She also likes to chew on lids of things. I was taking a shower this week when she came in with white something all over her mouth. Freaked me out. She had found some ointment that I used for Annadele's skin, and was chewing on the lid and holding the bottle. She was fine, but loves to scare mommy. Sarah taught her how to high five this week.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

So I was in the shower Tuesday morning, and I got a crazy idea to invite the play group that we go to on Tuesday's over for making sugar cookies on Friday. I called Mark just to make sure it was okay with him. There were a couple of moms who had something going on, and one family had sick kids. But I thought I would prepare for the most and just hope people would remember and come.
Thursday I cleaned the house and I made the cookie dough so it could chill. I think it is easier to roll out when it is a little cold. We also had an interview that night with the Bishop regarding our temple cancellation's and sealing. He wanted us to review all the paper work to make sure it is correct, and he gave us a worthiness interview. Now he will send it to our stake president, we have an interview with him and then it will go to the first presidency. Yea, it is finally moving forward. Our bishop said that once it goes to the first presidency, it is only taking 2 to 3 weeks. Wow that is fast. I pray it can continue to move forward.
Friday was cookie day. I told people to come from 10am - 12pm. This was the best time for me because of my kids nap time. That and I didn't feel like I could feed everyone lunch too. Cyndie Reynolds and her two kids Allie and Hunter came. Annadele loved having Allie here. They had fun cutting the cookie dough. And I saw Allie decorate a cookie and then eat it. I thought it was cute. Then Laura Jones came with her daughter Jane. Alex wasn't so sure about having people here, but she was playing with all of the kids in the end. I had made two batches of cookie dough to make sure I had enough. The two moms hardly took any cookies. Just enough to give their kids in school a cookie. I had promised Sarah I would save her some cookies to decorate. I had plenty of cookies. I even saved a little dough so she could cut some out if she chose to. But she was able to decorate a lot of cookies. The bad thing is I didn't take one picture. I even had my camera on the counter to remind me.
That afternoon I saw we were going to have really nice weather. It was 70 degrees. perfect park weather. So after we picked up Sarah from school, we went to the park that is on the way home. It is a nice park with lots of slides. Even the perfect slide for Alex to go down on her own. My little miss independent.
Saturday night Mark made a beef soup. He asked me to pull out a potato, and I pulled out this heart shaped potato. I know I can't remember to take pictures of my cookies but a heart shaped potato. Well I thought it was pretty cool, especially considering it is going to be Valentines.
So to spread the cheer, and not have so many cookies in the house we spent Sunday night for family home evening delivering cookies. We gave some to Mark's two home teaching families, a couple of the moms who weren't able to make it on Friday, and even a plate to Sarah's Grandma who lives in our ward. It felt really nice to be able to do that, and every house we went to they were really glad to receive our cookies.

Date night and Super Bowl

Being in Las Vegas with out family is a blessing and a curse. I think it has been a blessing in that Mark and I have to lean on each other more, and we don't have the escape of family to run to in hard times. (Which is also a curse sometimes.) But then we don't have family around to celebrate the holidays or birthdays, or be with family for other events. It has also limited us in our dating, which has been virtually non existent. Mark is gone a lot, and then there is the issue of money, and getting a babysitter. We just haven't made it a big priority, but that is about to change I hope.
One, Mark's parents are buying a town house basically kitty corner to our home. They are already talking about having the kids sleepover every Friday night. And coming over and doing the gardening, and I don't know what else they think they will do. But one of the nice things about the town house they are buying is that it has an exercise room and a pool! This will be very nice for us in the summer time, and it is very close. I did worry how this will affect our relationship with them. I VT a lady who didn't get a long with her mother-in-law until she moved to Las Vegas. Now they are friends, but distance was the key for them. I worried this would be the case for me and my in laws, but I have prayed and have peace that this will be good for both of us. I hold on to that other wise I might be freaking out right now.
Two, there is a lady in our ward Alisa Jenkins, who Mark is their family home teacher, came over this week so we could get to know each other better, and let our kids play. She has a daughter Jade who is 3 1/2, and son who is 8 months, and she just found out she is pregnant. She was telling me how she has a sybling somewhere who trades babysitting for a date night. They have about 5 couples, and they trade off who is the babysitter while the rest of the couples go on a date. I thought it was a great idea. She had another couple who was supposed to join us, but they never brought their kids. So right now it is just us and the Jenkins, but I thought even if Mark and I only go out once a month that is one more time than we were doing before. So we went out on Saturday evening. I was fasting so we didn't want to go eat, and I got a text a 30 minutes into it that Alex hadn't stopped crying. We ended up just running errands, but at least we were together. I felt bad because when we picked them up, Alex had started crying again so for 2 of the 3 hours we were gone, they were dealing with a crying kid. Got a love separation anxiety.
We are not sports lovers in this house so it is very nice that on the Sabbath, we don't watch TV. I will watch a movie, or let the kids watch something that I approve of. But for the most part, I couldn't tell you who was playing, or who was on a team or any stats what so ever. We did decide to make kobe short ribs and won tons. Alex was doing this little turn with her head tilted. We called it the won ton dance. I just wish I would have taped it. So cute. And then for the last quarter, Mark and Sarah were watching the game. It was funny because Sarah isn't familiar with any of the lingo of football. So she was asking what a field goal is vs a touchdown. What 1st and 10 means, and what other things mean. I thought we are doing something right for her not to know this stuff, but maybe a disservice too. What if down the line she marries a sports aholic. But it was the New York Giants playing. So of course Mark being from New York, he was cheering for the Giants. I don't see Mark get into sports very often, but he had a good time with what he watched. Thank heaven the Giants won. It was a good game. Good times. I am so glad I don't have to do this all of the time. 1 hour once a year, I think I can handle that. Just don't get me started on Magic. That is another story entirely.