Easter 2013

If this isn't the scariest easter bunny ever . . . I'm not sure what is.  He made these ears at pre-school and thought it was a requirement to wear them for pretty much the entire week leading up to Easter.  The googles . . . they were just extra.

 And thankfully, my wonderful Mom saved us on Easter dresses this year that turned out darling. 

Big plans, but never enough time . . . they would have all been wearing black for Easter Sunday . . . like the last cute winter skirts she made.

And this was the year . . .

Liv:  Is the Easter Bunny real?

Me:  What do you think?

Liv:  I think he's not real.

Me:  Hmmm, is that what you think?

Liv:  Yes, I'm sure.

Me:  Can you think of anyone in our family that might not know that yet?

Liv:  Addison.

Me:  Anyone else?

Liv:  No.

Me:  Drew, where did you get that Jake puzzle?

Drew:  The Easter Bunny!!

Liv: Ooooh. Yes, Drew, the Easter Bunny gave that to you.

Another one bites the dust.  

The Easter Bunny came a bit early and all our chocolate was melted so we had to stick everything in the freezer before we opened it all. 

Happy Easter!

Young Love

Olivia has a crush on a little boy named Cole . . . and how do we know that?  Well this on the fridge was our 2nd clue. 

She also told me that she always wants to go to Kohl's to go shoppings.  "you know . . . because it's Cole's".

And then I don't want to forget this little conversation in the car:

Olivia:  Did you love anyone before you loved Dad?

Ashleigh:  Yes.  I probably loved my boyfriend before Dad.

Olivia:  Well, I think I'm going to tell Cole I love him.

Ashleigh: hmmm.  Have you talked to him before?

Olivia: Yes, I talked to him at the playground at Addison's soccer game.

Yes, it seems like an appropriate next step. 

Hot Stuff

I learned (from our friend Jeremy) that you can ask Siri on your iPhone to call you anything you want.  So I told Siri to call me Hot Stuff. 

Olivia has been having fun asking Siri random questions and figured out my "new name."   She started randomly calling me that instead of Mom.

 - Love it everytime -

As parents we messed up one night (I can't remember the details) but we had to break it to the kids that we had never been parents before and we actually had no idea what we were really doing. 

It evolved into a conversation of repentance and just doing our best.

We knew we had really hit home when Olivia said  -

"I know I'm bad at something.  I try and I try, I don't know why but I always use too much jam on my toast in the morning and I'm working on that."

Olivia:  When I grow up, I either want to be a dentist, a draw-er or a monkey gorilla.

Addison (to Ansen):  You're the best Dad in the world.

Olivia:  No, Mike LeBaron is.

Our neighbor, Mike.  SLAM. 

You gotta love this as a parent, right?  Please tell me things like this happens to everyone.

He gave them pencils from his work that changed colors that morning which they were thrilled with . . . at least we're hoping that explains a lot.

Mom: I love you.
Liv: I love you.
Mom: I love you more.
Liv: I love you more . . . I'm just kidding . . . I don't!

Let me document here that when Olivia was 2, it took us an entire week (or more) to get Olivia to accept that she had to give every person in our family a hug and kiss after family prayers.  We had to force it every night with a long drawn out struggle every time to get her to show any of us any affection.  But it worked and she's our biggest, longest hugger now.

Mom: I love you.
Drew: I luv whoo.
Mom: I love you more.
Drew: I luv whoo more.
Mom: No, I love you more.
Drew: Oh.

I haven't tested it lately, but Addison would go back and forth for probably forever.

I really will be sad when my kids stop saying things like this . . .

Olivia :  Mom, will you help me get the Crystal Light mustache off my face before we leave?

As she asked me this, it just hit me like a load of bricks that one day (too soon) she won't need help with things like this and that then one day she won't even be here to ask me things like this. 

Liv lately . . .

1)  Ansen and Ad went on a date night to a baseball game and knowing Olivia would feel bad they just told her they were going to Salt Lake.  All night she kept wondering out loud what was going on in Salt Lake, and how she had been to Salt Lake before, etc.  I finally had to tell her they were at a baseball game. 

When they got home, Ad and Ansen tried to sneek Addie into bed.  Olivia woke up out of a dead sleep . . .

"Not cool Dad.  A baseball game without me."

and back to sleep. 

2) While saying prayers with Olivia I had to prompt her . . .

Mom:  Help me to make good choices.

Liv:  Help my mom to make good choices.

I guess I do need a lot of help.

Olivia came in, looked at my computer over my shoulder and gave a laugh (the kind that you blow air out of your tight lips because it's kind of a sudden laugh you didn't expect).

"Oh Mom, I see someone that I love."

(she had seen the teeny - tiny icon of this picture stored on my desktop)

Our cute, little, chubby cousin, Halls (Halle - but Olivia gave her a nickname)

And my pre-school follow up for Olivia.  We ran into Miss Shannon at the store 2 days ago.  Olivia hid behind me and would barely talk to her  . . . because she was starting to cry and she didn't want Miss Shannon to see.  She sure misses her teacher!

Olivia swallowed a penny, which I slowly pieced together in between the sobbing. 

"I'm going to tell you the truth.  I swallowed a penny.  And I already went in my room and said a prayer that I wouldn't die and that I wouldn't get sick and die."

Olivia: (really excited voice)  Oh my gosh Mom!  You're wearing your cancer purse.

I switched to the purse cover to the one that some of the proceeds go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.

Mom:  Yes, I did. 

Olivia: (even more excited voice) Oh Mom, do you have cancer (like she's asking me if I have ice cream)?

Clearly she has no idea what cancer is yet . . . and thank goodness for that.  

Jeff: . . . I'm a truth teller, aren't you a truth teller?

Olivia: No

Jeff:  Your Mom told me you were a truth teller.

Olivia: No

Jeff:  I thought I saw a paper that you signed saying you would be a truth teller.

Olivia:  Oh . . . I was just kidding.

Olivia:  Come on sister from Silly Island!

Me:  Come on Olivia from Silly Island!

Olivia:  No, I'm not from Silly Island!! I'm from Heavenly Father!




Me: Do you remember when you woke up crying last night (she had a huge, major crying fit with clearly no brain activity in the middle of the night)?

Olivia: No, I just woke up when my body was doing this . . . (makes the big sob noise and huge breath in-take . . . you know the one after they've been crying so hard and they're trying to stop) . . . and then I went back to sleep.

Not quite how we remembered the 25 minutes of loss sleep in the middle of the night.

Olivia and Jeff . . .

Ollie: What happened to your foot?
Jeff: I sprained it really bad at Family Home Evening last night.
Ollie: Oh . . . (sitting in serious thought)
Jeff: Did you have Family home Evening?
Ollie: Yes, but we don't sprang our feet.

Olivia to me and Drew . . .

Ollie (to Drew): Where did I get you? Where did I get my sister? . . . FROM SILLY ISLAND!

Olivia in the shower: Ahhhh, Mom! Mom, you're right?

Me: About what?!

Olivia: My hair IS turning brown!

It's not the same typed . . . I have to remember her frantic little scream.

Olivia bringing her dinner dishes over to the sink . . .

"Mom, let's pretend you're the cleaner lady that does all the cleaning for me . . . "

Okay, I'm sure I'll nail that role.

Putting Olivia in the car . . .

Me: Well, I guess we're going to get Addison a new car seat and move you into her old car seat? Do you want to do that?
Olivia: (excited) Yes, I can move into her car seat.

A few minutes later . . .

Olivia: We should get Addison a new bike?
Me: Why?
Olivia: So, I can move into her old bike.

First, she's smart, I'll give her that. She's always thinking. And two, I'm so glad she likes the idea of hand me downs.

Ansen: Olivia, you're going to have to help Mom today. She's really sick.
Olivia: And Addison can help?
Ansen: No, she's sick too, so you're going to have to help both of them.
Olivia: Uh, I don't fink I can.
Ansen: You're a big girl, yes you can.
Olivia: Then we're going to have to take off my training wheels.

Ollie's Os

Olivia learned to write an O and pretty soon I started finding them everywhere. They were all over all of my todo lists everyday, the Bingo board for Addison's Halloween party, my work papers, Addison's homework, my checkbook, the ward list, . . . I wish I'd taken more pictures as I found them. Now it makes me smile every time I find a new O and I've learned to keep the important papers put away.