Cuter Every Day

All three of the kids have been especially funny lately. In fact, they all seem to have grown up while I was wasn't looking. They are all a bit defiant, too, but luckily for them, they are also doing some really cute things.

We have been getting quite a bit of snow lately. After playing outside for what seemed like an eternity, Matt and I brought our frozen girls back inside. Elle's pants were soaked from falling in the snow, so after I took off her wet clothing, she was left in just a shirt and diaper. She demanded to go back outside in the snow and I told her no, she couldn't go out in just a shirt and diaper; she would freeze her buns off! So she proceeded to gather random articles of clothing from around the house. After she had dressed herself, she came to show me that she was now ready to go back out to play in the snow.

Morgan is a Sunbeam now. She was so nervous to go all by herself, but she stayed the whole time and did a great job. I peaked in the primary room just in time to see the whole Sunbeam class get up in front of the junior primary and sing Popcorn Popping. It was beyond adorable. I have been trying to teach her more primary songs so she will feel more comfortable during singing time. This morning she asked me to sing "That Child of God Song" to her. I started and she promptly stopped me and told me that I was singing the wrong one. When I asked her what one she wanted me to sing, she bent down a bit and patted her legs and said, "The one about my knees being great!" I laughed so hard! (For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, the second verse says, "and so my needs are great). Also, her new phrase...instead of anything being "easy," it is now "easy, peasy, rice and cheesy!"

Not to be forgotten, Miles is growing up way too fast. He is only a couple of pounds lighter that Elle now, and is starting to fit into a couple of 12 months clothes already. This is quite a change from my first two kids! He still likes me to chase him around, especially up the stairs. He is getting really fast and if I turn my attention away from him for more than 10 seconds, when I turn around, he is already up to the top of the stairs. Luckily, if he wants down, he cries for me instead of trying to go down himself. I also think he knows how to sign ball. He doesn't really know what it means, but he sort of claps his hands and says Bah, bah. Then he laughs, so I am pretty sure that is what he is doing!

Like Father, Like Son

Miles playing XBox 360

A new look for a new year

We had a bunch of people over for a game night on New Year's Eve. Included was Charise, Ty, Ava and Owen. Ava had brought over her new make-up that she had gotten for Christmas. The girls took it up to Morgan's bathroom and then we heard Morgan giggling harder than I have ever heard. I grabbed the camera and quietly went upstairs. I was not prepared for what I walked in on. Morgan and Ava looked beautiful with their make-up on. It looked pretty good, so I am assuming that Ava did Morgan's for her. Elle on the other hand, decided that she could do her own make-up. It was so funny, none of us could stop laughing for a while!

A Very Late Christmas

I know I am very late posting about Christmas, but better late than never, right? The girls woke up about 6:15 am. I went in to keep them in their room until Troy and Nicole could get here. I peeked my head in and said, "Merry Christmas!" Elle sat straight up and smiled so big at me. I looked over at Morgan and told her that Santa Clause had come! In one fluid movement she went from laying flat on her back to standing straight up on her bed. Her knees slightly bent, she threw her arms out to either side and with a very serious look on her face said, "What happened to the Christmas tree?" "There are toys under the tree," I replied. Again her arms flew out to the side. "What happened to the stockings?" "There are toys and candy in your stockings!" Not to be left out, Elle threw her hands out and shouted out, "What happened to my diaper?!" I was laughing so hard, I couldn't even answer her. I finally told her I don't know, what did happen to your diaper? She told she thought it was broken. What a silly little girl!

The girls opened a million presents and then helped Miles open his. Elle was pretty much done after the third present, but Morgan just wanted more. Then they opened their box of princess dresses and Morgan finally took a break from presents to play! She looked so cute! It was a really good day.

Winter updates

I feel like it has been forever since I have posted anything, even though it has only been a little over a week. I got Morgan's school picture, shown on left, and I love it! Her whole personality is shown in her face. She tells me she looks like a princess in it. It's funny that she even gets school pictures in preschool!

Morgan has been dressing up like a princess every single chance she gets. It is funny how quickly she went from tom-boy to super girly. She gets on a princess dress, wings, shoes, a crown, as many necklaces as she can locate, and of course, a magic wand. Elle follows suit, not because she necessarily wants to be a princess, but because Morgan does. What's hilarious is that Morgan can get dressed up so fast. I will be looking at her then turn around for only a moment to see what Elle is saying to me and by the time I turn around, Morgan has managed to dress herself in full princess attire!

I also went and got Elle's and Miles' pictures done. They will be ready the 22nd of this month and I will scan them in and post them when I get them. Afterwards the girls and I and Nana and Papa went to get some lunch in the mall and ran into Santa! What a coincidence to find him this time of year with a moment to spare to take a picture with our kids! Miles was not the happiest little boy in the world! He asked Elle what she wanted for Christmas and all she could come up with was a "Christmas present." Before he could even finish his question to Morgan she piped up with "a princess dress." Elle heard this and looked right up at Santa and said she wanted a princess dress too! It was really cute.

That night we all took the kids to temple square to see the lights. Morgan took her first look at the temple and proclaimed that it was the most beautiful castle she had ever seen! Then we saw a bride by the temple getting her wedding pictures taken, and Morgan cried out, "And look at that princess! Isn't she beautiful?!" It was the cutest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Morgan was able to see a real live princess in front of her beautiful castle. It was a fantastic night!

Snow days

While Miles was taking a nap on Sunday, Matt and I decided it was well over due to take the girls out to play in the snow. Now I am a wuss when it comes to the cold, so Matt did most of the playing. He helped the girls build two snowmen, one little one and one the size of Morgan. Morgan really wanted to give the snowman a hat, but I didn't have any that I didn't care if someone stole it off of our snowman. I finally convinced her that the snowman needed hair instead of a hat, so I went and got the only thing in our house I could find that was suitable for snowman hair...broccoli. The girls thought it was pretty funny.

Matt also had a big snowball fight with the girls. Thanks to my spectacular skill as a photographer, I was able to capture this battle with snowballs in mid-air. I know, that is a fantastic feat! Anyway, every time Morgan tried to throw a snowball back at Matt, he would scoot in really close so she could hit him with it, she would pull her hand back behind her to get some power behind her throw, and then she would let go of the snowball way to soon and it would land right on her head...every single time! It was great! Everyone had a lot of fun!

Then I decided that everyone had had enough snow time and we all went in and had a cup of hot chocolate with teeny tiny marshmallows. Our little eskimos were pretty reluctant to take off their mittens and coats, but eventually we got them undressed and down for a nap.

Just some little tidbits

Here are just some random little things that have happened lately. I have been really busy with the kids lately so I haven't posted in a while, so I need to catch up!
The other day, I was getting really frustrated that Morgan and Elle weren't minding me and sitting down at the table for lunch. I finally started to almost yell at them to sit down and Morgan casually walks up to the table and sits down and says, "Yes. Let's sit down at the table. It's a beautiful day today!" I was laughing so hard I couldn't possibly be even the slightest bit mad any more! I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. Then later that day, we were playing hide and seek and she asked me to go in a corner in the kitchen to count. I told her I would just count where I was at, and she said, "Please go count in the kitchen...I'll give you a cookie!" After hide and seek she happily handed over a deliciously invisible cookie! Morgan has also discovered her hips. I think it is from dance class; the teacher was always telling them to move their hips for the dance. So I took a video of Morgan's new hippy dance!

Elle is beyond hilarious lately, too. She is really into playing with Miles. She hides and keeps peeking out until Miles finally comes to find her and then she runs off to a different hiding spot. And lately, every time she does something she is not supposed to and I tell her "no" she just looks at me and starts laughing and tells me, "No, Mommy, but it's funny!!" After that I have a hard time telling her "no" again.

Miles is doing well, also. He is getting more teeth already and loves to bite me right on that tender spot where my neck and shoulders meet. He is pulling himself up on everything and is starting to cruise along the couch (walking while holding on, for those of you who don't know what cruising is). He laughs at everything and loves to play with his big sisters...and take away whatever toy they may be playing with at the time!