Why Ashton doesn't want to grow up...

The other day Ashton asked me "Mom, someday will I be tall like you?" Yes. maybe even taller. "Mom, some day will I be old like you?" Yes. "Mom, someday will I have big teeth like you?" Yes. I have explained to Ashton several times how babies do not have teeth when they are born, then they come in, and years later they fall out to be replaced by their adult teeth. Ashton is fascinated by this and always asks if he still has his baby teeth. "Mom, I like my baby teeth. I don't want to get old like you and have big teeth." You don't want to grow up? "No, I want to stay little." Fine by me. I like you being my little boy.

How Katie has changed my life...

When I met Katie, I did not realize the immensely profound ways she would influence my life. I would say the most important being, her re-introducing me to rainbow chip cupcakes. I am obsessed. I think in the last month I have had them four times! I have also learned that you have to buy the rainbow chip kind, not confetti- or the kind that you have to mix in the sprinkles- it needs to come mixed together. This is crucial to the tastiness of the cupcake. So detrimental in fact, that one night I was craving these cupcakes, I went to four different stores all around town looking for just the right frosting so Katie could make a batch. Luckily Heather was with me, or I would have come back with the wrong frosting. She informed me that Albertsons always carries the correct frosting. Walmart, Vons and Target however, did not have any at the time- I am now an Albertsons fan.

The second way Katie has impacted my life, again very profoundly, is her knowledge of towel hanging. I love the way she tied a ribbon around the towels at her home. So, I finally did my own and love the difference this little ribbon and hand towel on top makes. It is the little things that make a difference.

Thank you Katie- my life will never be the same!

Enchanted Moment

We bought the movie Enchanted yesterday and have watched it twice today. It is adorable! The kids love dancing togehter during each of the songs. Ashton always does the spins instead of spinning Tera.

Do you want me to be like Jesus?

We were eating breakfast yesterday when Ashton looked at me and asked, "Mom, do you want me to be like Jesus." Of course I do. He said "Do you want to be like Jesus too" Of course. "Then maybe you should not spank me anymore." You're right. What should I do instead? "Just talk to me." After this conversation Ashton proceeded to clear his plate, share his orange juice with his sister, clean up the scrambled eggs Tera had spilled,m mop the floor and get a tissue for Tera's nose. I was a bit overwhelmed with all the goodness bubbling out of my little Ashton. It was one of his shining moments!!

The things you say...

She puts her arms out wide, blocks doorways and says "say open season" to pass by (Ashtons password)

"I want a tookie" (cookie). I said- "No Tera, they will make you sick." She will make you sick. She comes back a few minutes later, looks longingly at the cookies and says "tookies will not make me sick mom."

She doesn't just say no- she says no way!!

That she asks to listen to "daddys song" in the car "When you say nothing at all"

When I tuck her in she grabs on to my arm and says "Don't weave yet Mom." It works everytime!

We were listening to Little Mermaid in the car and I started singing along. Tera looked at me and said "You don't sing mom- Ariel sings okay?" Apparently I wasn't doing too good!!

New Addition to the Family

We are proud to announce the arrival of our newest family member…

Acura MDX Thompson
Purchased: March 6th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Curb weight: 4420 lbs.
Welcome with love by: Matt, Kyra, Ashton and Tera

I am loving our new car! It has been a long wait! She had her first bath yesterday. We just think she is the cutest little car ever. Unfortunately, she does take the expensive gas and the MPG isn't what we expected, but such is parenthood!

Dishwasher Dilemna

Is it common for people to be very opinionated about how the dishwasher should be loaded? In our family it is. It stems from my Grandpa Scrimsher. He has firm beliefs that the bowls should all be facing the center of the dishwasher. My mom acquired some interesting techniques herself. She feels that the glasses should be alternated from plastic to glass so that the glass doesn't bump against another breakable glass and cause it to break. She also thinks that anything over the size of a plate should be washed by hand. Pots and pans in the dishwasher is a sin in her home. My dad feels strongly that all silverware should be pointed up. I have no opinions on dishwasher loading techniques because I decided this was one area I could be laid back in and not take on the anal dishwasher tactics. I put the plates and bowls haphazardly in the dishwasher, my silverware is scattered everywhere and I even throw in pots and pans whenever there is sufficient space.(I know, I live on the wild side) However, I married Matt who also has strong opinions on dishwasher loading- I do not know why because he never unloads the dishwasher. But, often times I will catch him taking out dishes I have put in the dishwasher and reloading them in just the right way. It seems that Ashton, at the young age of four, has already been influenced by the dishwasher gene. Yesterday I had him load his silverware in the dishwasher for the first time, because I felt he was old enough. He took his spoon and looked at the rows of silverware in the dishwasher and said "why are there forks in the spoon aisle?" Then he proceeded to take the forks out and place them in their "proper place" and put his spoon amongst the other ones in the now declared "spoon aisle." What have we done!

ABC's of our Life

A- Attached or Single - In love for 10 years, married for nearly six!

B- Best Friend - Matt, Ashley and Hannah- friends since childhood

C- Cake or Pie - Pie

D- Day of Choice - Friday

E- Essential Item - vacuum

F- Favorite Color - Purple and sage green

G- Gummi Worms or Bears - Bears

H- Hometown - Redding, Ca

I- Indulgences - doughnuts, baths and good books

J- January or July - July

K- Kids - Ashton and Tera

L- Life is incomplete without - family and friends

M- Marriage Date - September 28, 2002

N- Number of siblings- 2 sisters and a brother

O- Oranges or Apples - Clementine oranges

P- Phobias or fears - Spiders, jumping creatures, scary people

Q- Quote - "A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your successes."
Thats just my favorite for the moment- it changes by the hour...

R- Reason to Smile - Sleeping in, clean house, Matt doing his "honey-do list": kids laughing together.

S- Season - Spring

T- Tags - Whoever wants to :)

U- Unknown fact about me - I love washing dishes with a new sponge.

W- Worst Habit - Burping when I yawn- I know gross, but I cannot help it!

X- X-ray or Ultrasound- Ultra sound

Y- Your favorite food - Chinese, Italian, Mexican- maybe everything!

Z- Zodiac - Gemini

The Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday Kim!

Happy Birthday Kim! I met Kim a year and a half ago and we became instant friends! I feel blessed to have a friend living right down the road to randmoly visit and barge into her home. She is a fun girl and a great mother. Happy Birthday Kim! We celebrated her birthday at Olive Garden. Matt even watched our kids so that it could be a bit relaxing- he's a trooper. We had a fun time! I think we each ate at least six breadsticks- they are amazing!

Happy Birthday Trevor

Happy Birthday Trevor!! Mylittle brother is not so little anymore. A big 22~ and is engaged as of a few days ago to a girl I have never met- Sandra, I am sure she is wonderful!! I think she is beautiful!

Just wanted to post some pictures of him growing up. Part of me will always picture him as the chubby little white haired smiley boy that we would talk into playing dress up with us (by telling him that lip gloss gave him super powers.) I think my sister Tera and I also got him to eat dirt and a stink bug at one point in time. I am a very good sister!!

Last random comment- We just saw the movie "Jumper" it wasn't that great- but I thought the actor looked like my brother. Not the black male, the other one--- don't you see the similarities?

The Chicas

The girls- Carly, Me, Suzi, Heather, Meagan, Laura, Janitsy, Melissa, Katie

Progressive Dinner

Good food (if I can say so myself), good friends, good times!

All tuckered out...

My kids rarley fall asleep on the couch, but both did the last few days- guess we have been wearing them out with our party lifestyles!! Ha!

Disneyland

What is better than a day at Disneyland??

A day at disneyland with cotton candy! It was so cute seeing how excited the kids got when I bought them ridiicoulsy expensive cotton candy. We had such a nice day at Disneyland and then spent a few hours in California Adventures- I love to be there with my kiddos! (usually)

Ashtons latest favorite thing about disneyland is the raft out to the pirate island- (Tom Sawyer?) Although we did discover that he is now afraid of Pirates of the Carribean, after he refused to go on it with the McDowell boys- he said he was afriad of the octopus in the rain. (The mist with Davey Jones)

Princess Tera

Our Mermaid

I recorded this the wrong direction, but it is still pretty darn cute! Tera loves to pretend like she is Ariel. Anytime I ask her to sing the mermaid song, she sings this little melody...