Pictures

Since I wrote last...

Archer has graduated Preschool.

We took video and pictures. Great ones. BUT... My camera cord (the actual camera, not just my cell phone camera) to download pictures isn't working.

So enjoy these other pictures
about other random things!

I have recently started braiding Robynson's hair. :) I love it (isn't she cute?!) and it's super quick to do.

We went to Jeremiah's cousin, Tagg's house for a fun night and dinner while the guys were working on the roof. :) Good times, friends and food!

The kids have discovered how to take pictures with my cellphone. Their favorite thing to take pictures of? RatDog. :) I love the one on the bottom. :) He was sleeping with his feet in the air. :)

My sister, Colleenia, sent a bag of clothes for Robyn. Robyn decided that she needed to wear the jean hat, pink and yellow socks and the floaty swimsuit - all at the same time. :) She played in that combo for about an hour. :)

We had the Hartley's over and the kids were being SO silly! :) They were painting their faces with the ketchup from dinner and crawling UP the walls...

Jeremiah has been working at my sister's house on weekends for about a month. She wanted to add a bathroom downstairs so that Sean could be in his game room when he felt okay and wouldn't have to try and make it upstairs to go to the bathroom. He did everything to make an empty space a bathroom - framing, sheetrock, tile, water, tub, sink, toilet, paint! He is amazing. :)

Archer (finally!) had his Kindergarten / 5 year old doctor's appointment. Since the Pediatrician's office that we have ALWAYS used (since Tanion was born!) isn't covered through our Medicaid plan, we had to choose a new one. Utah Valley Pediatrics in Provo were really quick, nice and helpful. And their rooms had Dinosaurs in them! :) Archer was really brave and only had to have 3 shots instead of the normal 5 - which he was REALLY happy about!

We've had a few different sleepovers lately. :) Tanion and Carter took a sleepover. Archer and Zak had a sleepover and Alona stayed the night so that her mom could take her brother to get tubes in his ears! I had to throw in the few with Jeremiah and Robyn snuggling. :) She loves having Daddy time! :)


Archer has discovered that he can climb trees. We were at our friends (the Hartley's) house and he just went to town! :) He thought he was pretty hot stuff because Tanion was afraid to do it and he wasn't. He would hang on the branch and then jump down and do it all over again. :)

Robyn wanted to try it, too. (Please forgive the fact that she has NO pants on!) I let her hold on to the branch and took pictures. She was moving her legs so that she could swing back and forth. :) She is SO Archer's little shadow... Which makes me nervous!

I let DarTanion get himself ready for school. He did his hair (complete with side horn), picked out his mis-matched clothes and long black socks with Archer's running shoes. :) I giggled, tried to steer him to better matching clothes, but he insisted that this was the perfect outfit for today. So I let him wear it. :) I hope I (he) made someone smile by doing so.

I cleaned the boys room (it was SO messy!) and got rid of a bag of trash and broken toys as well as a whole box of toys that they really don't play with. In doing that, I organized the trains, tracks, star wars guys, action figures and blocks. Archer promptly built his trains, track, and freight cars. :) He's a little obsessed....

Every time we've gone to Heber City for the last month, we have taken the back road that goes by the train station. We knew that Thomas the Train would be there for Memorial Weekend (because we have tickets to ride on Thursday) so we've sort of been stalking it to see when he arrives. Yesterday we took cupcakes to my mom for her birthday (which is today - Happy Birthday, Mom!) and Thomas was finally there. Archer and Robyn were beyond excited! :) We drove by 4 times before I stopped and let the kids (Tanion's friend Stuart was with us) get out of the car and go up next to him and see him. Thursday is going to be fun. :)

ONE LAST THING
(and 4 more sets of pictures...)

My neighbor friend (Rebecca Heaps) is starting a photography business. You can check out some of her pictures HERE. She took some great pictures of my kiddos (and Angie and Kiah) and she said it was okay if I shared them here. I threw them into a collage (because that's what I do these days) to share them with you...

Beautiful Angie and Cute Little Kiah :)

Archer Moe (being my goofy little guy) :)

Robynson being her cute little (drama queen) self

... and my handsome, grown up DarTanion boy :)

**********

I hope to post some things about Mother's Day and my Mom's and about Jeremiah's birthday and my Mom's Birthday and about our adventures with Thomas that will happen tomorrow. And I hope to post them soon. So watch for them. :) Until then, much love. :)

Potty Training

Can I just say how much

I HATE Potty Training?!

Don't get me wrong - I love my kids and I love when they can go to the bathroom by themselves, but getting to that point - NOT FUN.

Current child in Potty Training would be Robynson. We've been working with her for pretty much forever now (or at least it seems that way). I'm not one of those Mom's that has to have it done right away. I'm all about taking their time and helping them realize when it's time to go / not to go. Tanion wasn't potty trained til almost 4 and Archer was just after his 3rd birthday. Robyn's only 2 1/2. So why do I feel like she needs to be going to the potty?! Uuuggg!!!!!

We've been working with her since last September.

Since before she was 2.
We've bought Dora Pullups - because she loves Dora.
We've bought big girl panties, hoping that would help.
We've let her run around naked.
We've borrowed Potty Training movies from the library.
Read potty training books.
I've set up a timer on my phone to go off every 30 minutes
and I would ask her if she wanted to go potty.
We've tried a little potty.
We've tried the big potty.
We've tried a small potty seat on the big potty.

Sometimes she goes,
Sometimes she doesn't.

It has to be her idea.
And she likes to be naked.
And that's embarrassing.

Some days are better than others. Today is not one of those days. And I am frustrated. Because I've been trying really hard with her lately and I don't feel like we're making much progress. But how can you really be mad when you walk into the bathroom and see this. :)

And yes, I realize this will embarrass the crap out of her (no pun intended) when she's older. I just had to vent and I thought why not post some fun pictures while I was at it. :)

Happy Birthday, Little Landen!

Robyn's cute little boyfriend, Landen, turned 3 this last week and we were lucky enough to be the one family that was not actually 'FAMILY' (yet!) that was invited. It was lots of fun and the kids LOVED just playing. The older boys were playing in the cherry tree or would play soccer, while the younger (more mischievous) boys played in the play house. The girls played inside or on the swings. :)

Angie (and sister-in-laws) made an adorable puppy cake complete with a bone and extra cupcakes with paw prints on them - which were all just completely amazing. I'm thinking Angie's going to have to make MY kids' birthday cakes from now on. :)

the cute Birthday Boy and his cake!

Of course, when you get mischievous boys together, something mischievous happens. This time it involved the playhouse... And poop... :( I'll spare you the disgusting details, but because of it, Archer and Zak were in time out and couldn't have their sleepover. It wasn't pretty... Actually, it was really, really gross and really, really embarrassing. Luckily, Angie (and everyone else) was really understanding and told me not to worry about it...

Anyway, it was mostly fun. Everyone had fun and Landen loved his gifts - lots of action figures and puppy toys. :) (And it's me, so you know I took like 60 pictures or something, but here are a few of my favs.)

Wheeler Farm

While DarTanion and Alona were in school today, my friend Heather and I took the rest of the kiddos and headed out to Wheeler Farm. We wandered around in the pretty chilly weather and let the kids chase ducks, ride in a wagon pulled by a tractor, see lots of random farm animals and eat lunch in a play house. The kids had LOTS of fun... Other than it being chilly, I think us mom's had fun too!

I think we might make this trip again when DarTanion and Alona can come with us! :)

Driving us crazy

Our little Archer Moe...
such a little adventurer...
His newest 'passion'?

DRIVING.

So anytime we play outside and Dad comes home from work, you will see a little boy - most likely who doesn't have shoes on - run as fast as he can to the gate to let Dad in and to help him drive.

And he's actually getting pretty good. :)