Valentine

Last night after FHE the kids wanted to play daddy-the-monster so I grabbed the camera. My kids LOVE their dad and come running when they hear the door open at the end of the day and it means daddy is "home" from work. Daddy-the-monster normally ends in tears because it often gets rough, but they continue to want it each night.

So my valentine is the best monster, the best dad, the best husband. He took me to the dinner/dance at the church on Saturday night and we danced until I was too sweaty (and we all know how much I sweat) then we walked around outside until we were ready to head back in to boogie. They had some really great line dancing music and the neighbors we invited out with us loved dancing too. Phil was getting his groove on and made a lot of people laugh. It was a super fun night, like all the nights that I get to spend with Phil. He is always one to entertain and have a good time. Plus I just really love dancing. Not enough to want to hit a club but enough that I make him take me to the Stake dance every year.

language

We were at the park the other day before taking the kids to piano and some 5th graders were hanging out and one of them kept using really bad language. I went over and talked to the kids about it and they all apologized and changed their language. I thought about how most kids are trying super hard to be cool and try to use words they hear older kids saying and are actually pretty respectful when you ask them to stop.
Most of these words they were using were totally lost on my kids, which makes me super grateful. To my kids the "f" word is f.a.r.t, the "s" word is s.t.u.p.i.d, the "h" word is h.a.t.e, and we even have an "i" word which is i.d.i.o.t. Cannon never says the word, but loves spelling them to me when other people say them.

4 Years Old

Lyla, you are now 4 and what a big 4-year-old you are. You are my little buddy and lately you have loved having me sit down and read book after book to you. You often still fall asleep during quiet time and you sleep 13 hours at night. We had a super eventful trip to the doctor a few weeks ago where you got to have all your final 4 year immunization shots. You were very good about telling me exactly what you thought of all of it. You were looking at me while I held you down on the table for the nurse and said "I told you not to put me up here." "Shots really hurt" and when I said I was sorry about it hurting you you let me know that "it is NOT okay". You were 98% for your height and when we took you to Disneyland they kept making you try to stand under the height sign and hitting your head. Your two friends you play the most with, Ashlee and Katie, are way shorter than you and you end up bossing them around.

You love to have stuff in bags and we have recently been making sure you are not putting every one's stuff in your bags. Miya and Cannon now close their door so you can't get in their room while they are at school. You just really love to have "stuff" in your bags and it never really matters what it is.

You love getting in my closet and playing in my clothes. You love to wear my boots and summer clothes even though it is pretty chilly in this house. You are not a big fan of going to the "cold store" (grocery store) and you often make a scene on the way out of the store which I enjoy.

Since your birthday you continue to remind me that you are big and can do things your own way. Except when you don't want to and 4 quickly becomes little again.

You love to sing and sing everywhere we go. Cannon and Miya often ask if you will please stop singing while driving in the car, but it is just so cute and happy I never make you stop. We sang I Am A Child Of God as the hymn in church and you were super excited to know the song so you stood up and faced everyone in the back and sang as loud as you could. Everyone loved it.

You are a beautiful little girl with a great big personality. You love to talk on the phone and no matter who is on the other line you ask if you can talk to them too. Most of the time it is one of your aunts, but you would talk to a telemarketer if I would let you.

We love you so much Lyla even if we lock you out of our rooms just so we can keep track of all of our "stuff".

Happy Birthday!

Cannon

So I really need to be posting something about Lyla for her birthday this past month, but I took this picture of Cannon and wanted to get it out there. So he came down dressed for school in his turtleneck and "short" pants, then he got the brush out and brushed his hair as far over to the side as he possibly could. I think he looks a little french and he always make me laugh at the things he likes to wear and do. He LOVES pants that are just a couple of inches above his shoes. He LOVE to have his part just a little above his ear and then comb over the hair. He LOVES this turtleneck. He really wants to grow his hair out and because I really don't care he is going to. I imagine he will still want his part in the same place so it is going to get interesting. I am so glad I love this little guy and we can all get a smile out of his style.
He is also funny about everything being a challenge. We got bop-it for Christmas and he beat it a few weeks ago. It goes through the levels and then once you beat expert it just says, "you beat bop-it" and then turns off. He is that way with everything. He will work on something for a LONG time just to beat it and get to the end. It makes it pretty easy to have him learn new things because he doesn't care if he is the best at the beginning he will work until he has mastered it.

Ashlee's kids

I watched Ashlee's kids last weekend so she could have a few days with Michael for her birthday. My kids LOVED having cousins over and getting to have a sleep-over. Miya loved being around Olivia and making her laugh. Lyla and Emery have a love/hate relationship, but enjoyed dressing up to dance and finding swim suits so they could play swimming pool. Cannon and Arleigh are good friends because she just enjoys doing whatever Cannon likes. He enjoyed showing her his amazing bop-it skills. It is so great to have them all this close and I just love getting to know them better. I love them all so much.