Fear Factor

We had a great Leap Day night! The activities committee (of which I am a part) planned a Fear Factor Night - we advertised it as the Tame Version so people would show up. It turned out really well - and since we had made it a 16 & up evening the youth got to see some of the adults being crazy. Like one guy eating a whole box of barbecued crickets!

Here's Scott spinning 6 times around a bat and having to run back and pass off a lizard to his team. Some people got so dizzy they fell down!
This is me reaching into an aquarium full of live crickets and grabbing out as many fake bugs as I can!
Scott McEntire and Scott Esplin go head-to-head in an egg relay.

Concentrating on keeping the egg on the spoon. Unfortunately, no one dropped their egg!
Scott trying to unwrap as many Hershey's Kisses as he can in 30 seconds with ski gloves on.
For the finale we had each time member shoot free throws to see which of the 'yummy' food items they earned to eat.
I had the privilege of eating spiced hard boiled chicken eggs found in the candy section of the Asian store. They were so rubbery!

Our Crazy Kirra

Kirra is awesome and we love her so much! She is such a wonderful little girl and brings such joy and happiness into our lives. She is always trying to make us smile and tells me many times during the day that she loves me. I am a lucky mommy!
One night when Kirra was waiting for me to come lay by her she decided to model my glasses so I grabbed the camera and she did some lovely poses.

Great-Grandma Parke always sends Kirra fun packages with crafting surprises, but this time there was something more. . . clip-on earrings!

Nature Center Outing

We made another trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center - it was an amazingly beautiful Leap Day! Kirra loved the Nature Center. . . .Kade mostly cried the whole time. He was tired and quite upset that I wouldn't just let him run down to the river and stand at the edge like the bigger kids.
I thought when Kirra stepped her foot in the river up to her knee that she was the only one that was going to get wet. . . boy was I wrong! Isaac fell in! Then he used his wetness to be some sort of swamp monster and chase the girls and growl ferociously!
Kirra and Brynn lovin' on each other. They sit next to each other in Primary and I often see them doing the same thing.
Our little nature group.

R is for Robot

Kirra had to bring a medium size box, a small box, 6 toilet paper rolls and tape to school and this is what those supplies turned in to! When Scott got home she told him all about her artwork on the robot and said, "I really used my imagination!" Kirra loves school and we hope it continues throughout her life!

Dip It!

I was reluctant to post these pictures because you will see that I let my kids eat corn dogs! But hey, they are fast and they love them! Today I tried to feed Kade his corn dog and he would have nothing to do with the help so I let him make a mess and enjoy his food.
Kirra is the reason we started buying corn dogs. . . it all began with a $3 corn dog at the NM State Fair.
A special dipping technique! Kade loves "DipIt!" which is any sauce to dip his food in. He isn't picky either - any ranch, ketchup, Heinz 57, gravy, pizza sauce, etc. will do!
Would anyone like a bite?

BIG Trouble

Is what Kirra and I got in when Daddy Bear found out that we put Kirra's old princess nightgown on Kade! Kirra came in with a princess nightgown on and Kade wanted one too. I asked Kirra if we should put on her little princess nightgown that she loved so much and wore almost everyday for 18 months. She wasn't too sure at first, then I told her we would take pictures and send them to her uncles and she was on board! We had a great time!

My two little princesses!
Giving his "sis" some sweet kisses.
Lovin' his princess shirt.
Our real princess!
Take my picture like this!
Kade was in for a little make-up that night. . . not due to his outfit, he loves getting his hair and make-up done anytime, any day!
Kirra will let Kade in her room as long as he sits in the chair and is a good client.
Enjoying his "sis" room time.

When Scott got home from helping a new family in our ward move into their house Kirra excitedly told him what we had done. I got the glare of the century and Scott said, "That is sick and wrong!" and Kirra said, "I don't like those words, Daddy. Kade looked cute!" Scott was not amused at all and accused me of feeding Kade's princess obsession. Kirra and I slinked back into the house to get her ready for bed and Kirra said to me, "I am going to go and talk to Daddy about those words - they weren't nice. Kade looked really cute and it was fun when he was in his princess nightgown!" I advised her against approaching Daddy with the princess nightgown subject for a long time.

Scott got Kade out of bed the next morning and I found the princess nightgown on the chair in his room. I haven't been brave enough to ask whether Kade had taken it off or if Daddy ripped it off of him. I imagine it was Daddy's doings since not too long after Kade was up he grabbed his chest and said, "Shirt, princess?" Like where did my princess shirt go?

Daddy is the Best

Kirra and Kade love it when Scott sits in the chair and reads them books! This is the only way Kade will stay for more than one book. I guess with his Daddy and his sister right next to him he doesn't think he is missing anything. Kirra & Kade are blessed to have such a wonderful Daddy and I am blessed because the father of my children is an amazing man!
Stop, Dog! Stop!
Daddy was trying to catch a few zzzzzz's as Kirra and Kade pretend to go to sleep in our bed.

K&K Make My Day

I don't know how many times during the day I find Kade with some dress-ups on!

This was after a Girl Scout Samoa cookie that Kade insisted on eating himself in the family room. OK, I'm the mom and could have demanded he eat in the kitchen but I was cooking dinner and I knew it would buy me some time!
Kirra girl had a Samoa, too, it's just not all over her face!

Simple Pleasures

Tonight after dinner Kirra wanted us to come dance in the family room so we left the dishes on the table and enjoyed an hour of each other! We danced to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, wrestled, played hide-and-seek with blankets and chased each other around. I kept having the urge to go the get the cameras, but I resisted because I thought it would ruin the moment. I'm glad I stayed put because often times the kids get distracted from what they are doing if I leave and try to find a camera. I did happen to find my camera in time to find some naked jaybirds flying around our house getting ready for baths.
It just made me realize, yet again, that our children are what this life is about! They bring us insurmountable amounts of joy and teach us to be better people. What an amazing blessing Kirra and Kade have been to us - life without our children would be so dull! Of course, there is always the undone laundry, the filthy kitchen floor (ever right after it's been mopped), the toys scattered all over the house but all of those things are worth the rewards I get for being a Mommy! There is nothing like having a sweet little person come up and say, "I love you" for no apparent reason, other than they really do love you! I'm amazed how quickly they learn and how much they want to know. I have the best job in the world!

Our Family's Song

You might think it would be something spiritual - or if you know us well that wouldn't even enter your mind - but we love "Fishing in the Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band! I have loved the song ever since high school and introduced Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to Scott and now the kids. I can turn any sour mood into some fun romping and dancing with a quick question about "Fishing in the Dark." Kade squeals "Dark! Dark!" and runs to the CD players and anxiously waits for the first few notes so he can start rocking out. We dance with each other, come up with crazy stunts on our own, and burn a few calories all at the same time. Kirra has no idea what the song is really about and I hope she's twenty before she figures it out!

Fishing in the Dark

by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Lazy yellow moon coming up tonight
Shining through the trees
Crickets are singing
And the lightning bugs are floating on the breeze
Baby get ready

Across the field where the creek turns back
By the old stump roadIm going to take you to a special place
That nobody knows
Baby get ready

Ooo ooo ooo

You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows

You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows

Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow

Staying the whole night through
Feels so good to be with you

Spring is almost over and the summers comin
The days are getting long
Waited all winter for the time to be right
Just to take you alongBaby get ready

And it don’t matter if we sit forever
And the fish don’t bite
Jump in the river and cool ourselves from the heat of the night
Baby get ready

Ooo ooo ooo

You and me going fishin in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows

Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow

Staying the whole night through
Feels so good to be with you

You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows

Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow

LL Cool Kade

Kade was 20 months old today and sporting his Daddy's "Baucko" (Mickey Mouse) hat. He loves hats or "sats" in Kade terminology. Kade likes it when Scott puts on his hat and then he gets to pull it off and wait for Scott's reaction.
Doing some serious building with "Sis"

President's Day at the Park

On President's Day we spent part of the afternoon at Quintessence Park with the Esplin's. I love that we have so many wonderful parks close by!

The Master Tunnel Builders

I love that we have so many

"Pincess"

No, I didn't spell princess wrong - I just spelled it like Kade says his new favorite word (and if you say it with a little lisp and your tongue hanging out then you talk just like Kade)! I swear the boy is obsessed with princesses! The first time I heard him say it was on Tuesday when we were walking through the clothes at Target. We had been looking at the boys clothes and he was pointing to the shirts with cars and monkeys and anything else he could indentify and saying the words or making their noises. Well, as we headed to the toys through the girls section I hear, "Pincesses" loud and clear and sure enough I look to see where he is pointing and there is a shirt with Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty!

Kade loves to play dress-up and can often be hear yelling, "Sis, clothes!" meaing Kirra, let's play dress-up clothes. He has been wearing a necklace everywhere we go. Scott was thrilled when we showed up to sacrament meeting last week and Kade had on a heart necklace. . .his sister had one on and I wasn't about to argue with him that boys don't wear necklaces to church!

He is picking up hoards of new words each week and this one brought words that aren't so fun. If Kirra touches anything, anything at all Kade yells "MINE!" and if I tell him no he gives me this little pathetic, whiney "WHY?" Yes, he is only 20 months old and already asking, "Why!" He uses it correctly, too. For example he kept saying "sucker" and I told him he didn't need one and he quickly replied, "WHY?" His communication skills have improved so much lately and it makes me sad that he is growing up so fast!
Our bashful princess.
Bunny, princess, basketball player Kade. See Uncles? At least he plays basketball while wearing a dress!