Penelope Quotes

We were unloading groceries and I asked all the kids to help me grab a few things so we could finish quickly - even Henry pitches in with a few small things. I told Penelope to grab the string cheese for me and she said, "You got it, lady!"

Penelope is probably, no, absolutely, my most difficult child at bedtime. Her latest excuse for coming in and out after she was supposed to be in bed was that she was writing up invitations to her meeting and she needed help spelling different names. She brought me my invite and said, "Come to my meeting ok? It's going to be fun!"

We are carpooling with a family from church- we picked up their little boy one morning for school drop off and as the van door opened Penelope said, "Welcome to the Hiller Express!"

Then when we drop off the older kids at school, Penelope says to Claire, "Goodbye my Love!" She said it so dramatically that I laughed. She said, "What?! I love her!"

Matchy-matchy on Valentine's Day

To continue this love fest, here's another favorite I wrote down recently. Claire asked Penelope for a piece of her quesadilla at Cafe Rio. She happily gave Claire a triangle and Miles said, "Wow! You shared?!" Penelope said, "Of course! A sister always shares with another sister."

Ward Service Project

Our ward gathered to clean up the park last Saturday so I loaded up the kiddos and joined the 75+ people from church who helped (Matt had to work). We made it a game and counted to see who could get the most pieces of garbage we could each get - amazing how competition changes the mood and makes it fun! And also amazing how many cigarette butts we found! We had great weather for a few hours and then it started to rain - I love when we actually get weather in Las Vegas! It was a good morning!

Klara and Claire

My Valentines

I wanted to remember these ones from the kiddos this year! 

This and That

Penelope is really into spelling lately and she is good at sounding out words already. The other day at the grocery store she read the sign in the isle that said "olive oil."  She learned to spell a new word recently.... so proud.

Miles - he may literally drive me crazy but he sure is cute and is also pretty sweet sometimes.

It must be hard to be the youngest - Henry always wants to do what the big kids do, and though he is pretty adventurous he just can't always keep up.

Matt turned 39! Middle-of-the-week birthday means a low key celebration on a Wednesday night. The kids loved picking out birthday cards! They told Matt to "get ready to laugh your face off!" when he started to open them. 

Rare moment when opening his bedroom door didn't wake up Henry. He is too cute!

Henry walked up to Penelope and just gave her the biggest hug! I love when they start to understand what a hug and a kiss mean.

Valentine's Crafts with Friends

I was reading in my new book (it's been out awhile though) The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin that it's good to have projects, even when they seem like a lot of work, because looking forward to a project or an event is a big part of what brings you happiness. The anticipation, the planning, the preparation and the build up to the event is sometimes more fun than the event itself.

So when Claire asked to have a friend over, I uncharacteristacally decided to invite over some neighbor kids too and we would have a Valentine's craft party. The kids and I had fun buying the supplies for making cards.  I decided to make heart shaped pizzas with heart shaped pepperonis for lunch - pita bread for the win! I used my food scissors to cut them out and it was so easy! I didn't even steal that from Pinterest, though I'm sure someone else has already thought of it.

The kids helped set up the table and make stations for everyone, then they made cards for their teachers and their families and friends. Decorating cookies is just synonymous with Valentine's Day so we had sugar cookies with frosting, sprinkles, and candy hearts. I cannot resist a cookie, so buying those in advance did not work out so well for me... live and learn! Buy them the day before! That's also why I bought the candy I don't like for the kids' Valentine's Day parties at school. THREE kids in elementary means three card exchange parties. I opted for store bought this year with some assembly, versus homemade. More on that later.

Cucumber hearts... it sort of worked

Penelope's cookie... The lesson that "less is more" was lost on her

Anyway, the kids had fun - the pizza actually tasted really good. And now they have cards all set and ready to go. At one point I realized, I'm such an adult right now! I have six kids at my house and I'm in charge of them all! :) And they all survived too!

Kid Quotes

Henry said a new word! He said, "Where'd he go?" all at once. This kid is my latest talker - and I keep predicting he will just bust out in full sentences soon.

Penelope chose a package of Smarties as her dollar store treat - probably the last candy I would pick for myself. She said, "Smarties make me smart! I'm a smarty!"

I was looking at Penelope in the rear view mirror and thinking how pretty she is, and how she doesn't look like me at all. :) I said, "How did you get those blue eyes?" She said, "They are green, not blue!" Sometimes kids say things and you assume they heard it from an adult and are repeating it, so I said, "Who told you you had green eyes?" Penelope said, "Actually, my brain told me." Well then.

I was trying to get Penelope to calm down for bedtime and she was all wired up for some reason. She is my most needy bedtime child, asking for so many songs and coming out over and over, insisting on the hallway light being on all night and the fan blasting her face even in the middle of winter. Anyway, I digress. I was asking her to calm down and close her eyes so her body would get sleepy, and in total exasperation she said, " But Mom, I'm NOCTURNAL!"

Things I Want to Remember About Newborns

Most days, the thought of never being pregnant again makes me feel pretty darn content. Pregnancy is not my favorite place to be. But the thought of never feeling a baby kick inside of you, or having a newborn to snuggle is bittersweet. I found a note on my phone that I wrote a year or more ago, probably in a sentimental mood about Henry growing out of that baby stage, that I wanted to record here.

Things I want to remember about having a newborn:

The way they arch their back and stick out their bum when you pick them up under their armpits　

Their little goat cries that break your heart and make you drop everything and pick them up　

Their fresh from heaven smell　

Gummy smiles　

The way their ears leave an imprint on my arm when I'm nursing them　

Smiles in their sleep

Hands that automatically hold your finger　

That moment where they dramatically stop nursing and throw their heads back with the most contented milk drunk face you ever saw

Baby blessings where your husband feels the spirit so strongly he gets emotional after just 3 words are spoken　

Here are my newborns...

Claire

Miles

Penelope

 Henry