Last Years Book List

These are the books I read last year. The highlighted ones are books I would highly recommend, the others may have been good, but my memory is not that great. Let me know if you have any recommendations for this years reading list. I'm always looking for a good book to read.
Bamboo People
Burned
Three To Get Deadly
Two For The Dough
One For The Money
The Maze Runner
Sackett
Olive Kitteridge
Teaching Your Child About Sex
Mockingjay
Outliers
The Book Thief
The Help
The Devil in the White City
The Graveyard Book
Garden Spells
A Year Down Yonder
A Long Way From Chicago
These Is My Words
Catching Fire
Hunger Games

A Funny Story

Today we were having a nice relaxing Saturday. Casey, Hanny, my mom, and I were just finishing up a rousing game of Rummikub and my Dad had opted out of the game in order to do some yard work. We had enjoyed watching him burn the tufts of elephant grass in order to prepare them for the new spring growth, when suddenly we noticed my Dad running to the garage, then away from the garage with a rake. He was running fast enough to alert us that something was going on, it wasn't a leisurely run. We all sprang from the table to see what was the matter and what to our wondering eyes should appear but a blaze of fire and to our neighbors wood pile it was drawing near. To be a little more accurate the wood pile was actually on fire, and on the opposite side of the yard one of the grass fires had spread and was leaving charred yard in it's wake. A few of us flew into action and manned the water hose in a way that would have impressed even the best fire departments, and my Mom grabbed a large metal shovel and began beating the tire out of the lawn fire. The situation was so funny we couldn't help laughing as we worked to subdue the flames, but as we finished my dad said "I guess you should never plant that stuff close to your house, I only used one match, just imagine if you had them close to the house one cigarette butt could burn down your whole house". On a brighter note, I know know what I'm doing for Dad for next years memory Christmas. I'm getting him a box of matches and labeling it "The Amazing All Inclusive Lawn Care Kit".

P.S. I've been getting a lot of slack about ignoring my blog, and I just wanted to submit photographic evidence (these are just the ones I could find easily) that I have not been sitting around eating bonbons and watching Soap Operas. I'm (actually everyone in this house) is frantically trying to keep up with this little scoundrel! Exhibit number one - he smeared butter all over the refrigerator, himself, the counter, and the floor (then he had the audacity to look at me as if he were totally innocent). Exhibit number two - he managed to trap himself inside the lamp shade (if we'd been smart we would have left him in there). Exhibit numbers three and four - you can just see the mischief in this little boy.

A wordie update

It's been so fun being at my parents house I haven't found much time to blog, but I've gotten some heckling (mostly my dad and Grandpa) so I'm going to try to do better. We've been without a laundry machine for the past week, which really stinks. That is one thing I NEVER take for granted. Every day I feel grateful for a washing machine (I think it's because I've lived without one for so long), but Casey being the sweetheart that he is has been taking on the responsibility of taking the wash to the Laundromat.

In other news Miles is really starting to talk. Well, I guess I should clarify, he likes to repeats words, but there is a little list of words he'll say on his own. Some of his most frequently used words are "Juice", "Nana" (meaning banana, much to the dismay of Nana - my mom), "Hot", "Shoes", "Belly", "Shoot", "Ball", and "Bath". He's learned to climb out of his crib (grrr), I'm not sure why my boys insist on being so adventurous at such a young age, but I'm just telling myself it's only a phase. He'll also start Nursery this week which should make church much more enjoyable (YIPPIE).

Bennett is enjoying the peace and quiet of the days when the kids are at school. He's quite the square eyes and wants to watch TV every chance he gets. I think we got into quite a bad habit because for the past 3 weeks we've been passing sicknesses back and forth, and since we can't leave the house with sick kids we've been relying on the TV a bit too much. Bennett really wishes he could go to school like Porter and Maya, but I'm just not ready to give him up yet. He's still at that age where he really loves his Momma and I love that he will cuddle with me throughout the day.

Maya is loving school and although she seems to be a bit behind in math she does well with reading and spelling. She is such a pleasant kid and like Bennett would be happy to sit in front of the TV all day. I'm really grateful to have Maya in our family. She is so easy to get along with. She is still dying to get a pet, and sometimes we have to put up with tears because she doesn't have one. They had the 100th day of school on Friday and in her 100th day of school book she wrote "I wish I had 100 pets". I keep thinking I should just get her a hamster and be done with it, but I remember when we were kids my Grandpa got us two hamsters which turned into more hamsters! Then the mom hamster went crazy and ate the babies and starved the dad to death. It wasn't the cute little happy hamster family you imagine. I'm just not sure I'm willing to gamble on my ability to pick a non-pregnant hamster.

Porter is also loving school (he's been kicking butt on his spelling tests) although he almost always puts up a fight about waking up. Recently we've discovered he'll wake up pretty willingly for one of Nana's egg sandwiches. That boy loves his Nana. She took him to the church for the scout pinewood derby race the other night and he was absolutely in heaven. He's getting really excited for his eighth birthday. We've been talking about baptism in Family Home Evening and trying to prepare him for that, but I think after the Pinewood Derby he's more excited for Scouts. We are really excited that Casey's parents will be able to come out for the baptism! It'll be so fun to see Grammy and Poppy again. Porter and Maya were putting together a puzzle of the United States, and I was showing them all the places Casey has sent portfolio's to (Washington D.C., Mass., Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Utah, and Washington). I asked them which place they would like to live the most. Maya picked Utah "So we can see Benji" and Porter picked Indiana, Ohio, or Pennsylvania "Because Utah is too far from Nana".

Fancy Lunch

The other day we were all sitting around when Grampy had the brilliant idea to take the kids to Cici's Pizza for a "Fancy Nancy Lunch". We donned our fancy apparel and headed out. Some of us were a bit more fancy than others, but we had a great time.




Maya felt a little shy once she realized no one else was fancy at the restaurant, but she got over it pretty quick. I personally think we could have been fairly inconspicuous had it not been for Grampy, who looked like the hillbilly version of Uncle Sam. Even though he took fancy to new extremes we were grateful for his fun idea.

Wha'd you say?

I was printing coloring pages off the internet and Bennett would run over to the printer and collect the pages, but he kept saying "You need to push paw". I think he was thinking about paw prints.

Bennett was feeding me popcorn and said "You have to nibble it, like a hedge hog".

Bennett had to go the the bathroom on a Walmart shopping trip, so I took him and when he finished I decided I'd better go also. Not wanting him to wander around the bathroom I made him stay in the stall with me. He kept trying to unlock the door and sit on the questionably wet floor. I finally grabed him by the arm and said "YOU CAN NOT SIT ON THE FLOOR. It's disgusting." He glared at me and said "Your bum is disgusting."

While drawing a picture of me Maya said "If anyone wants to know, this is NOT a Chinese boy."

After trying to play my old trumpet Maya shrugged her shoulders and said "I thought it would sound more jazzy."

As Casey read a Christmas story to the kids he read a part where Santa pulled a small bell from his bag and said "There was a soft tinkling sound", Porter quickly blurted out "And it was Santa peeing".

While looking back at older pictures of Miles with his long hair Maya said "I like it when Miles looked kinda like a girl. I didn't like it when he got his hair cut."

A slower Christmas song came on the raido and Bennett said "I don't like this song, I just like 'Holy Diver'!" I said "Holy Diver?" and he said "Yeah, Holy Diver's my favorite".

I asked Maya what she played at school with her friends and she said "We just played princes and dragons, but we cut the princess out". I should have know Maya's friends would prefer to be a dragon over a princess.

Bennett: "I'm sorry I spilled all the pictures Mom. Do you forpologise me?"
Me: "Yes Bennett I forgive you."

Maya was talking about a field trip her class was going to take where they were going to the public library and then a restaurant for pizza. I said "Yeah, you're going to a fancy restaurant" and she said "I'm going to use my best manners" to which Bennett replied "Hey, you don't got manners, I got manners."

After Thanksgiving dinner Maya found two turkey bones and glued them to her head band. She wore them for the next few days saying she was a reindeer.

When I brought home the thanksgiving turkey it was wrapped in green packaging. Bennett took one look and said "You got a big huge WATERMELON".

At bedtime Bennett came wandering into our room so I told him to go get back into his bed. He said "I'm not tired", so I said "You don't have to go to sleep, just go lay in your bed and listen to your music." He quickly said "I'm not song-y".

As I was reading my scriptures Bennett curled up next to me so I asked him if he wanted me to read out loud. He said yes, so I began reading out loud. He then told me "No, SCREAM louder!"

Porter saw something gross and said "Oh gross, I'm gonna gromit".

Porter while looking at a picture of Miles "I wish I had a phone, I'd put that picture on it."

While at the doctors office the doctor walked past Bennett, he quickly turned to me and said "Her dress is like stinky".

I was laying in bed the other day trying to sleep in and overheard Maya say to Porter "You even hit my nose, it's the hardiest part of my body".

Maya used the bathroom immediately after Porter and with a tone of disgust in her voice stormed up to him and said "Porter, you didn't wipe the seat off!" He tried to deny it and she snatched up a piece of toilet paper and said "ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THIS" while demonstrating how to wipe off the seat.

Porter learned a new word after watching White Fang and decided to implement it when Bennett kept shutting the door on him. He yelled "Stop shutting the damn freaking door!" Then he glanced over at me, and realizing I heard him, said "Oh, I'm dead".

Some choice lines from Bennett age 2 "I serious do want some milk" and "My whole life is cereal mom"

After a long period of being downstairs Bennett came into my room. I asked him what he was doing and he said "Not eating cookies" (with crumbs all over his mouth). I said "Oh, you weren't eating a cookie? What were you doing?" He replied "I was eating a banana." (we don't even have any banana's)

Maya "Who wants to play Super Family?"
Casey "How do you play Super Family?"
Maya "You just be super heros and if anything drops from Bennett or Miles (car seats) we get it, and Dad you drive the supermobil and Mom you watch the super kids."
Me "Are Super Kids as annoying as regular kids?"
Maya "Yeah, their SUPER."
(side note-this was on our super long car trip. I don't typically infer that my children are annoying.)

Maya "Knock Knock"
Me "Whose there?"
Maya "Interrupting orange"
Me "Interrupting orange..."
Maya "SQUEEZE"

Bennett "But dad I like rolly coasters their my best friends".

We drove past a K-Mart and Porter said "Hey, Big K". I said "What do you know about Big K?" and he said "I see it on soda and on a store".

While driving in the car Maya asked me "Mom, WHEN can I get a dog?" I said I didn't know and Porter said "I really want a hamster, can I get a hamster mom?" I ignored him and Maya chimed in with "Yeah, a hamster would be good cause it wouldn't chase cats". (Yeah, THAT'S the reason we aren't getting a dog)

Maya - "Who wants to feel my kind of beard-ish chin?"

I threatened to spank Benny and he said "You a tough mommy."

While watching a movie Porter asked Maya "Do you know what Rodger means" Maya said "Yeah, it means Copy"

On our drive to Washington Bennett saw the mountains in the distance and kept saying "I see the Rolly Coaster (Roller coaster)"

Snow Day

Casey and I were a little wishy washy as to what to do with the kids as far as schooling goes while we are staying with my parents. At first we thought we would homeschool again, but they loved their old school so much and we could end up being here a fair amount of time, so we enrolled them in school. I really love the school they are going to, and the both Porter and Maya seem to have gotten excellent teachers. There is a bit of an adjustment because this school starts an hour eariler than their last school so we're getting use to waking up at 6 am. I don't know who's taking it harder the parents or the kids (Miles, on the other hand, loves it and is pushing his luck by waking up at 5:45 (the little stinker).
We got an awful lot of snow here and the kids were blessed with not one, but two snow days. They were pretty excited, unfortunately the second day's snow was accompanied by bitter cold, so they only got to enjoy the snow on the first day. Fortunately we put forth the effort to bundle up and I dusted off the camera and got a few pictures of them enjoying the winter splendor.

Maya makes a stunningly beautiful eskimo.

Aunt Hannie taught the kids that if you wear your pajamas inside out and backwards the night before a predicted snow storm school will be canceled, I think they'll be testing this theory on a regular basis.

Post Note: Maya, missed her school fieldtrip on the second snow day and was super bummed, but hopefully they'll make it up to her. That girl loves school.

Happy New Years

I've been MIA for a while, but as usual I have a good reason. We spent the early part of December preparing for Casey's finals and our big move. We boxed up all our earthly belongings and with the help of several (wonderful) ward members we packed everything into a storage unit in Boston. On the 18th we left Boston for the great state of Indiana. Porter and Maya were disappointed to leave their friends but they were so excited to be going to see their cousins. After a two day car trip (where I refused to drive for fear I would purposely drive head on into oncoming traffic just to put myself out of my misery) we arrived at my parents house. Casey spent the days before Christmas working like a mad man trying to get his portfolio ready (it's finally done and we're just waiting for it to come back from the printer). I on the other hand spent the time trying to find Christmas gifts that fit all our 'temporary living' requirements (not too big, not too junky, not too many).

We made it through Christmas without anyone getting sick, and everyone felt it was the best Christmas ever (I think we say that every year). Porter got some tech decks with little magnetic guys that ride them, a comic book making/drawing box, new church clothes, and best of all he got a pogo stick from Nana and Grampy, and a Leapster Explorer from Poppy and Grammy which he is still glued to. Maya was thrilled with her unicorn pillow pet, house shoes, mood ring, and stilts (again from Nana and Grampy - They must think my children have real potential as circus performers), she also received a Leapster from Grammy and Poppy. Bennett got some toy trucks, a Night Fury dragon toy, new shoes, and a bouncy ball from Nana and Grampy and a toy laptop from Grammy and Poppy. Miles got a toy cell phone with lots of buttons to push, another little button toy, a toy laptop from Nana and Grampy, and a mechanical guitar from Grammy and Poppy. Casey and I got spoiled also. Casey got new hiking boots, a bathroom book, and some marshmallow candies he loves. I got a new set of scriptures, ear rings, a new pot, Tupperware, and BIGGEST surprise of all UGG boots! All things I would never buy for myself but LOVE having.

After Christmas we all traveled to West Lafayette for baby Ella's baby blessing. It was so fun hanging out with the Harward's, and we even accomplished some great projects. We painted Sarah's front room and her downstairs bathroom for our New Years Eve Party. The kids had a great time playing together and got to go swimming a couple times at Nana and Grampy's hotel. They loved it. Bennett and Miles each got little colds and are still fighting off nasty coughs. The cold has been spreading though the whole family now, but lucky for us it's not too miserable.

After New Years we headed back to Louisville, and we've been enjoying our time here. Porter and Maya have started school here, and are really enjoying it, although they are still adjusting to waking up about an hour earlier than they did at their last school. Bennett and Miles and I enjoy our days at home with Nana, and Casey is busily job hunting. I slacked on the picture taking, but I have a goal to post some pictures within the next few days. I took a few today when Grampy spontaneously decided we should take the kids to Cici's pizza for 'Fancy Nancy' lunch. What fun...

A Shortie

My sister, Hanny, has been giving me a hard time about not blogging frequently enough (as if I'm not busy with 4 children, 3 days of packing left before we move, 2 busy baby boys at home all day, 1 hubby who is married to Harvard Graduate School of Design, and 1/2 a busy baby boy in my tummy making everything more difficult - but whatever), anyway in an attempt to make Hanny happy I'm going to share a few funny story about Maya (quite possibly my weirdest child).
Story #1
The other day I was combing Maya's hair after her bath, and thinking what a BEAUTIFUL little girl she is. She's had a few times where she has mentioned that she wanted to play with certain girls at school, and they told her she couldn't play with them. She never seems bothered by these instances (she's a lot like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter), but as the mother I'm bothered. I was thinking to myself "Who wouldn't want to play with Maya? She's cute and nice and friendly and so many other wonderful attributes" when she suddenly looked into the mirror, flared her nostrils, and said "hey, doesn't this look like a pig nose". Oh, that's why, she's weird.
Story #2
Maya came home from school and told me that she had to bring a dollar to school tomorrow because she was buying a pony from Jocelyn. I wasn't too concerned because I thought she meant a toy pony, but as the conversation progressed I discovered that Jocelyn lives on a farm and Maya had some sort of bargain with her that she would sell Maya a "real, white, pony named Snowflake" for a dollar. I tried to explain to Maya that a pony cannot live in her bedroom, and I thought she understood until the next day she came home and told me that she had given Jocelyn a dollar for a puppy (since she could keep a puppy in her bedroom). Lucky for us Jocelyn has yet to smuggle a puppy into the school.
Story #3
I was watching a show where the family home-schooled their children and they were talking about how their children were less influenced by fads and trends (They were buying shoes at a thrift store). I was fondly reflecting on my home-school days and thinking, "Yeah, that's one of the nice things about homeschooling, the kids are much less judgmental towards each other, and feel free to express their individual styles. Anything goes fashion wise". Then it suddenly dawned on me that Maya has been wearing a big furry Santa hat to school everyday this week. She doesn't just wear it to and from school (in lieu of her stocking cap) but leaves it on all day long. I thought about interfering until she told me that her friend Kimberly loves her hat and is going to wear one just like it tomorrow (I guess if Kimberly says it's ok...)

I miss the Fall

I think winter is starting to take it's toll on all of us. Bennett is resorting to creating his very own computer spaces and Miles is just running around all adorable like he doesn't even realize he's cooped up. Bennett is a total bath addict. He asks for a bath at least twice a day. It's sad when bath time is the highlight of your day. Miles has learned to jump. He jumps around like a cute little lunatic. We've started a reward system in which the kids can earn Service Stickers by doing services for one another. When they're Service Sticker chart is full they get a string of Christmas lights to hang in their bedroom. Pretty exciting, some of the services I've noticed are : trash being taken out (without asking), Porter shared his stocking treat with me and Miles, the other day he unloaded Maya's part of the dishwasher, Maya decided to play secret santa and leave fruit snacks in everyone's stockings. They seem to really like it, and I love the improved attitudes. Oh, the joys of bribery.

On another note, the storage space is reserved and Casey and Bennett took the first load over today. We're getting there. I'm thinking we will try to get everything loaded into the storage unit on the 18th, then we're out of here. Casey had his big presentation yesterday and I, for one, am glad it's over. He still has work to do, but we can breath a sigh of relief (hopefully no more absolutely absurd work schedules). I can't believe he's almost done. He's applied for a few Army Corp of Engineer jobs (I'm keeping my fingers crossed), and within the next few weeks we'll start job hunting in earnest. I'm praying the job will come quickly so the kids can get back into school, I can find a new OB, and we can start to settle ourselves into a new chapter of our lives. If it weren't for the uncertainty this would be totally exciting!

Stir Crazy

We've been home bound for a few weeks now. With Casey working from 6am-12am every day we've been without a car. Porter and Maya spend the majority of the day at school (luckily we haven't missed the bus), and the babies and I putter around the house all day. Last night the kids were all jumping all over my bed (a huge pet peeve) and I turned around to yell at them and noticed they were all in their undies. They looked so cute I decided to allow the misbehavior and snap some pictures. Don't you love their "What Mom? We weren't doing anything wrong" Faces. Crazy little hooligans. Miles and Bennett both seem to be getting colds, but we were left with the car today so I could take the kids to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's and I'll be danged it a little snotty nose is going to keep us from all that fun.

Divorce and Heart Attacks

Well, tonight, I was laying in bed with Maya just talking and she asked why some daddys want to find new mommys, so of course we went into a lengthy discussion on why some people get divorced, and she was awful heartbroken at the concept. She started bawling about her Granny Helen who got divorced and how she didn't know her greatgrandfather and I had to explain to her that sometimes people don't want to get divorced, but the other person does and so it just happens. Trying to cheer her up, I told her about when I was about her age and had learned that one of my best friends parents had gotten divorced, I asked my mom if she and dad were ever going to get divorced and how she explained that they would always love each other and no matter what would stay together and how secure and happy that made me feel. I then went on to explain that my Grammy had gotten divorced when she was young and had 5 young boys to raise and how a great man named Golden Charles Elmer stepped into my father's life and became his dad and how much he loved him, and this seemed to cheer Maya up...until I mentioned that I did not really know him because he died when I was 3. Well of course she wanted to know why, and I explained that he died because he had a heart attack and of course she started balling again saying, "I don't want you to die" and "What's a heart attack" and eager to change the subject, I explained in the simplest terms I thought she would understand, that a heart attack is when you heart has to work too hard because you ate too much butter and salt, to which she bawled louder, "I don't want to have a heart attack!" What can I say, the girl likes salt and butter and I guess I should have picked my words a little more carefully, but I was able to eventually calm her down.

Actual Thanksgiving Pictures

We may not have gotten any pictures of the real turkey, but we got some pictures of these two turkey (and I happen to enjoy looking at them more anyway).

Porter got his first shiner at a friends house. I guess they were playing and the friends little brother and Porter ran into each other. The brothers head hit Porter in the eye brow. At first it just looked a little swollen and red, then it turned into this. And here is Maya showing off her new antlers. What a weird-o.

Old Pictures/New News

These pictures are from awhile back, I just never got around to loading them onto the blog, and as I sat here thinking "I really should post something about Thanksgiving" I decided to stick them in also. We had a wonderful thanksgiving dinner although we missed our families. This was our first year staying by oursleves. I was really dreading it and started panicking when I realized I'd have to touch the TURKEY (does it get any grosser than that?). I've decided that pilgrim housewives must have united and invented Thanksgiving for the soul purpose of only having to prepare a turkey ONCE a year (they just threw the thankful stuff in afterward to make it sound more legit). After about three phone calls to my mom I finally got the entire meal prepared and it was pretty much just like I remember it. Nothing turned out weird. Bennett helped me make the pumpkin pies and the sweet potatoes, and Maya helped prepare the green bean casserole, the rolls, and the mashed potatoes. We got to have Casey all to ourselves the entire day, and (although he's back at school today) it was wonderful. I'll be glad when school is over, and I know he will too.

Now we really have to get ourselves into Christmas mode. Porter told me today that he knew just the place for our Christmas tree, I reminded him that we were not going to put up a Christmas tree because we'd be packing all our stuff and going to Nana and Grampy's house. We'll just enjoy their tree. We may have to create some festive decorations so the kids don't feel too neglected. We have been blaring the Christmas tunes, so that helps with the spirit around here too.

In other news Casey has started submitting job applications (stressful yet exciting). I can't wait to find out what will happen to us. I am (not so) secretly hoping for a Army Corp of Engineer job, but I keep praying that we'll get whatever job will be best for our family. I know the Lord knows better than we do, but incase he want's to know my preference I'll be happy to oblige. Also we had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and found out we will be blessed with another little Elmer boy. Missy was a little sad. She loves her brothers, but was really hoping for a sister. She may have cried a bit when I told her it was another boy, but she got over it quickly and is now just enjoying looking at pictures of Baby Ella (her new cousin). Now for the naming of this little guy. I seriously have a fondness for the names Hank, and Ender. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to go with Ender for real, but I think Ender Elmer has a nice ring to it. Casey it leaning towards Harvey, and the kids keep suggesting totally normal names like Jack, Alex, basically all names of friends from their classes. We'll keep thinking I'm but the poor guy will probably still be nameless two days after he gets here.

The Goodies?

Ok, so by no means are they GREAT, but they are good enough and at least I don't feel like my entire efforts were a waste. Some peoples pictures turned out better than others, but we could always try again...or not!

My only goal for today...

I simply wanted a few pictures of the kids. One of each kid individually for our wall (judging from the pictures on our walls you'd think we only have two children), and one of them all together for my dads office desk. I think I just have the kind of kids that are darn cute in real life, but not so photogenic.

It wasn't from lack of preparation either. I put a lot of though and energy into picking their clothes out (and Maya never took her sweatshirt off), and fixing their hair (Maya's hair got snagged on every low hanging branch on the hike to the photo spot, and the boys rough housed their spikes into submission). I think next time we'll just cough up the $8.00 it cost to have their pictures done at WalMart. They may not look the best, but they'll sure be a heck of a lot less hassle.

I did get a few cute individual shots, but as for the group photo... sorry dad, I just don't think it's happening.

"Babies, you'd be better off rasin' tomatoes!"

I was cleaning the kitchen last night and turned around to find Miles like this:

He thought he was pretty hot stuff, and as soon as Porter and Maya saw what he was doing, they both grabbed the nearest marker and dropped to their tummy's to follow suit.