Harper Happenings

So it's been ages, but...

2011-03-08T22:06:00.003-05:00

...I am still here!!

And here are two stories about Ethan to brighten your day. :)

The first one is told by Ian:

Tonight the boys asked me for a song. I said okay and sang one of the songs common in our house:

I love my boysies, oh yes I do.
I don't love anyone
like I love you (and Mom and Elena too).
I love my boysies, I do (do, doooo).
Oh boysies, I love you (doo-biddy-doo.... Bonk).

On my way out of their room Ethan asked me whether I really didn't love anyone else like I love him and his brothers, and Elena, and Mom. I told him that I love him and all my children as much as you can possibly love someone, and mommy a little more. So he threw a curve ball and asked about my Dad & Mom. So I told him, "Yes, them too."

About 10 minutes later I had gone back up to play some guitar and sing. It's been too long since I've done that. I pretty much sang them to sleep. As I got up to put the stool back in their bathroom, Ethan seemed to wake up and he said to me "Dad, you know that song, where you sing that you don't love anyone like you love us?"

"Yes," I replied, "Just your mommy."

"You know," he said, "That's kind of how I love chicken wings... Only we don't eat the people we love."

I almost didn't make it down the stairs :)

And from me:

When I picked him up from school today, he said they get a 'compliment party' on Friday (if another teacher or someone give the class a compliment, they add a letter to the word 'compliment' on their board, and when they finish, they get a party). I asked what type they are having this time (last time was popcorn) and he said they are doing Show and Tell. I asked him what he was thinking of taking. He said he wanted to take his crystals, from his crystal growing set. I told him it wasn't grown yet, so maybe he could think of something else. He said his Zhu Zhu pet.

Jokingly I said, "You could take your sister." *laugh*
He was quiet for a minute and then he said, "I could but I don't think she'd like it very much staying in my backpack until it was time to take her out."

HA!!

On an Ethan Kick

2010-12-01T08:29:00.001-05:00

Ethan at 4 years old enjoying a s'mores

Today is my biggest boy's birthday!!!

To celebrate here on the blog, I leave you with a story from today.

So this morning while Ethan was putting on his shoes, we were talking about how his friend at school has a new last name because his mom got remarried. Ethan asked why Grandpa Bob got remarried, and I said, "Because he wanted to." He said ,"No it's because he didn't get along with Grammy." I explained that was why he got divorced. He asked if Grammy is married. Then he said all of a sudden, "I know what I will get Grammy for her birthday!! A husband!!" and laughed.

Funny, ain't he?! :) I can't believe he is 6 today!!! Time truly flies.

A Little More Ethan

2010-11-18T15:31:00.002-05:00

The kindergarteners had an assignment to make a turkey using anything they found around the house and outside.

Here is Ethan's! We used all kinds of stuff...berries, spices, rice, toasted coconut, Kix, bark, rice...

You can imagine the mess when we were done! :)

Apparently Ethan is a ladies' man...he came home from school today with a sticker from a girl in class, as well as a heart one of the girls had made for him at her house and brought to school.

Oh dear. ;)

Stairs That Goes

2010-11-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

Today in the car Lucas was talking to Ethan about the mall. He said, "They have moving stairs that goes you up or down!"

Bento Does It Again :)

2010-11-18T13:49:00.003-05:00

Here are some more of my bentos, plus a pic of my supplies! :)

This one is from today! I got new picks last night (yay! Thanks, Lori!) and wanted to use them today. I was going for a fall theme. :) We've got broccoli (trees!), Jello in a pumpkin, apricot flavor fruit leather acorns (weird brown things in the bottom right corner), sausage pieces (a request from Ethan) on fall leaves picks, a cheese maple leaf (had to put that on to because I was particularly proud of it), Kix (corn! that's harvest-y), and an orange grass baran. :)

Another favorite...We've got grapes in a silicone cup with a giraffe pick, chocolate covered grahams, orange bear baran, and rice pudding star with a slightly scary candy face. :) Other side has turkey pieces, pink grass baran, cheese pieces in a silicone oval with a bear pick, and alphabet Cheezits. :)

These are my bento supplies! I actually have two of the blue bento boxes. If you want to know what something is, feel free to ask! :)

My Star

2010-11-14T00:10:00.002-05:00

Ethan was nominated by his teachers to be the boy from his class for Star Student of the Month in September!! He was so excited. :)

Apparently he's a model of school spirit!

He received a medal at the PTA meeting, as well as a free Chick-Fil-A meal.

What a sweet boy!

Two Year Old Tiny

2010-11-13T23:48:00.004-05:00

Ian and I worked on Tiny's cake together. Isaac chose the Batman theme, and I found a picture of this cake online and wanted to do it. The yellow and black parts are home-made fondant...YUM. :) As we were putting the last touches on the cake, Isaac sat on the stool and just watched in delight.

Ready for that cake now, please!!

I had to put this one because I love how the boys were all gathered so closely to Isaac as he was inspecting his Batcopter. :)

ELMO! YAY!! (And do Ian and Isaac look alike or what?!)

I can't believe it's been two years since Isaac was born.

Do you know how cliche it sounds to say 'time flies'?! Well...it does. Fly, I mean.

Lemme tell you some things about Tiny.

-- loves anything his big brothers love...superheroes, Legos, games, etc.
-- is still allergic to bananas. And has now learned that "banas" make him sick.
-- resorts to yelling really loudly when one of his brothers takes away his toys.
-- loves to give "huggas".
-- eats almost anything, except dishes with noodles.
-- looks just like Ian.
-- loves his baby sister, "Leena".
-- has just started saying "E-fee" for Ethan instead of "Ee-Ee". Lucas is still "Lee-lee" although it comes out often as "Loo-ca". Says Isaac as "Eye-ee".
-- will not sit still for long unless he's watching Dora, Diego, or the Backyardigans.
-- desires a blanket "fort" in his crib every time he's in it, which consists of his blanket from Grandma JJ put over the rails of the crib.
-- climbs out of said crib.
-- still has a big ole noggin...90th percentile at his 2 yr checkup! :)

Isaac is such a happy guy, and so very smiley. He's energetic and loving and stubborn. He's willful and sweet and cuddly.

We are so glad to have him. We love our Tiny!

Bento Does It

2010-10-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

So if you've seen my other blog, you may have learned about my new way of making lunch for Ethan.

I learned about it from anotherlunch.com, one of my favorite blogs.

The style is called bento, and it's a Japanese way of packing lunches to eliminate garbage.

Plus...it's cute!! :)

The very first bento I ever did! It's got grapes with a fruit leather airplane, rolled turkey slice, carrot 'coins' with another fruit leather airplane, and tiny cookies. The other side has pasta with ranch and cheese airplanes and diamonds. :)

Second bento!! :) I am so pleased with how the apple turned out...the first time I'd ever made the checkerboard apple! There are mixed veggies, dinosaur shaped pb&j, and animal crackers.

This one is not quite as cute...I was going for a 'make-your-own-Lunchable' type deal...cheese triangles, turkey squares, green beans, and pineapple on sword picks with sprinkles. Then there's Ritz crackers, pickle circles on sword picks, and tiny cookies.

I liked this one! :) Goldfish, salami on sword picks, and a pickle. Then Toy Story 3 mac n cheese (boy am I glad Ethan doesn't mind some leftovers in his lunch! LOL!) and his name cut out of fruit leather.

My favorite one so far!! I was going for a theme on this one...ABCs and 123s! We have O shaped cookies, Scrabble Jr. Cheez-Its, celery bites (they looked like Cs to me!), and salami letters and numbers. The other side has ABCs and 123s Spaghettio's and ABC and 124 cheese. :)

It's helped me pack healthier lunches for Ethan, and it's sort of a hobby now. HA! It's addicting. :)

A Bit of Random

2010-10-12T09:13:00.002-04:00

Little Miss, sucking her thumb, smiling at the same time, and wearing what apparently used to be one of my doll's outfits. :)

What was left after Roo ate his doughnut.

Poor Ethan had an ear infection. He slept on the couch for a lot of that Saturday...and this is how his eyes were when I checked on him once. Creepy?!

Hind.

2010-10-09T00:12:00.001-04:00

For some reason sometimes to be silly Ethan calls his bum his 'boohind'. I guess Isaac picked up on that because last night when they were in the shower, he was saying 'boohind'. Then today he was playing with the Leapfrog magnetic puzzle barn thinger...looks like this:

He picked up the purple cow bootie and was singing to himself 'boohind, boohind'. I almost died laughing while I was making pizza. :)

Everything is a Toy

2010-10-05T13:05:00.003-04:00

Proof you shouldn't leave your camera lying around in reach of a 3 1/2 yr old:

Ingredients

2010-09-23T13:15:00.002-04:00

Forget snips and snails and puppy dog tails....

Today Lucas told me that he is made of, and I quote, "Sand, electricity, magic, pumpkin pie, and crackers."

No wonder you are so unique, my Roo!

Amazing.

2010-09-22T21:44:00.005-04:00

Overheard from the playroom today:

Ethan (in awe, to Lucas): Wow! How did you do that?! That's amazing!

Lucas (without skipping a beat): I AM amazing!

Lake Fun

2010-09-21T13:34:00.002-04:00

We love visiting Lake Tobesofkee with Ian's family!!

Boys Will Be

2010-09-11T00:06:00.002-04:00

Stick 'em up!!

The bubble guns at Grandma JJ's apartment were a hit. Was there any doubt?

He IS.

2010-09-02T22:54:00.005-04:00

So last night Ian and I had a talk with one of the counselors in the bishopric.

We had to take the kids, which was fine...one of our friends watched them in the hallway while we were talking.

Ian decided to stay and play volleyball at the church with some of the guys.

Ethan DEARLY wanted to stay and play too. He kept asking if he could. We told him that it was way past his bedtime, he had school the next day, etc.

I finally said, "Ethan, I want to stay and play too, but I can't. Girls aren't allowed."

Ian said, "Yeah, you have to be a man to play."

Ethan said tearfully and vehemently, "But I AM a man!!"

*sigh* Don't grow up too fast, my little man.

A Year Almost? Really?!

2010-08-30T13:37:00.003-04:00

Wow.
That's just SAD.

I have no excuses.

Well, I do. But I don't want to bother you by listing them. :)

SO!!

To start what is hopefully my new habit of (re)blogging, I'll tell a funny story and put a cute pic.
That should appease, yes?

On Saturday I was giving the boys a bath. Tiny was sitting by the drain when I started to drain the water.

Roo said to Tiny, "Watch out, Tiny! The drain sucks the water down and you will get sucked down! *pause* No, you won't. You have a penis. And a big belly. And a big noggin'!"

To which Tiny stood up and sticking his bootie at Roo, said, "Bee buh!" (Big butt!)

Ah I love my children. :)

World of Coke Visit

Wordless Wednesday - Thank you, MJ. (And Em, for the vid)

2009-09-16T15:46:00.000-04:00

New Music - More Music Videos

Wordless Wednesday - King StickerBelly

2009-09-02T23:37:00.002-04:00

(Thanks, Laura, for this idea!)

Adding Fiber to His Diet

2009-09-01T09:47:00.002-04:00

Why one should always pay attention to your 10 month old at Wal-Mart.

He was b-o-r-e-d with grocery shopping.

I thought, "Hey! A box of noodles! That rattles. How fun." and handed it to him.

A few minutes later, this is what I see.

Mmmm. Tasty!

Oh the Humanity...

2009-08-29T16:31:00.002-04:00

I ganked this comic from a friend's blog.

I feel it's very appropriate for my poor old blog.

I promise I'll bring it back ASAP.

My 3 Fishes

2009-05-14T22:58:00.005-04:00

Our first swim of the season in Huntsville!

Thanks to Grandpa Trash and Grandma JJ! :)

Grease up!

Testing the water.

Ahhh...warm kiddie pool.

As you can see...Tiny's first swim experience was tiring for him! :) The big pool was reeeeally cold. So we stuck to the kiddie pool after that! :) My big chunka baby. :)

Ethan was Ready with a capital R. He had all of his gear and he was good to go! He didn't mind the coldness of the water. :)

I'm ready too, Mom!

Yay for warmer water!

Just hangin' out with Grandma.

And Daddy on our new trampoline! :)

Quitting the Church.

2009-05-03T20:55:00.002-04:00

I received this email today.

I liked it so much I want to share it with you.

I agree with the man who is going to quit 'The Mormon Church'.

In a local newspaper in Provo, Utah, there had been an ongoing series of articles written by individuals who wanted to persuade LDS Church members to leave the Church.

In response to the highly critical and spirited remarks, a local member wrote this rebuttal:

Editor:I have been thinking of quitting the Mormon Church. Yes, if I can, I am going to get even with that church. As soon as I can find another church that teaches about the Gathering of the House of Israel; the return of the Ten Tribes and their mission; the return of the Jews to Palestine and why, and how they are going to build the temple; the building of temples and what to do with them; the mission of Elias, the prophet, as predicted by Malachi; the method for the salvation of the people that died at the time of Noah in the flood; the origin of the American Indian; the complete explanation of why Jesus of Nazareth had to have a mortal mother but not a mortal father; the explanation of the three degrees of glory (three heavens) as mentioned by Paul; the complete explanation of why Elias and Moses did not die but had to be translated (since they both lived before the resurrection was introduced by Christ); the restoration of the gospel by modern revelation as promised by Peter and Paul and Jesus himself; the belief in eternal marriage and the family, and the knowledge and the place to seal for eternity; that teaches abstinence from all harmful drugs and foods ; and that sells the best fire insurance policy on earth, for the last days, for only a 10th of my income.

Yes sir, as soon as I can find another church that teaches all that, or even half as much, I will say good-bye to this Mormon Church. The church that I am looking for must also be able to motivate 50,000+ youth, and adults, for the first, second or third time, to leave their homes for two years at their own expense and go to far-away places to teach and preach without salary. It must be able to call, on a frosty day, some 5 or 6 thousand professors, students, lawyers, doctors, judges, policemen, businessmen, housewives and children to go and pick apples at 6 a.m. It must be able to call meetings and get the attention for two hours of more than 150,000 men. Yes, it must also teach and show why salvation is assured for children who die before eight years of age.

Mr. Editor, could you help me find a church that teaches all that and more than hundreds of other doctrines and principles, which I have no room to mention here, and which brings solace and comfort to the soul; peace, hope, and salvation to mankind, and above all, that answers the key questions that all the great philosophers have asked; questions and answers that explain the meaning of life, the purpose of death, suffering and pain; the absolute need for a Redeemer and the marvelous plan conceived and executed by Jesus Christ the Savior? Yes, as soon as I find another church that teaches that, and also that has the organization and the powers to make that teaching effective, I am going to quit the Mormon Church. For I should not tolerate that "they" should change a few words in the Book of Mormon-even if those changes simply improve the grammar and the syntax of the verses-for, after all, don't you think the Divine Church should employ angels as bookmakers, and clerks, to do all the chores on earth?

Don't you think, Mr. Editor, that the Divine Church should also have prophets that don't get sick and don't get old and die, and certainly, that don't make a goof here and there. No, sir! A Divine Church should be so divine that only perfect people should belong to it, and only perfect people should run it. As a matter of fact, the Church should be so perfect that it should not even be here on earth!

So, I repeat, if any one of the kind readers of this imperfect letter knows about another church that teaches and does as much for mankind as the Mormon Church, please let me know. And please do it soon, because my turn to go to the cannery is coming up. Also, "they" want my last son (the fifth one) to go away for two years and again, I have to pay for all that. And I also know that they expect me to go to the farm to prune trees, and I have heard that our ward is going to be divided again, and it is our side that must build the new chapel. And also, someone the other day had the gall of suggesting that my wife and I get ready to go on a second mission, and when you come back, they said, you can volunteer as a temple worker.

Boy, these Mormons don't leave you alone for a minute. And what do I get for all that, I asked? "Well," they said, "for one, you can look forward to a funeral service at no charge!"... Do you think you can help me to find another church?

Thomas D. Clark

One of My Favorites...

2009-04-30T22:47:00.003-04:00

I love looking at blogs. I really do!!

I have a HUGE list of blogs that I read all the time.

Family...friends...etc...

There is one I read because it is awesome.

And because I'm obsessed.

Check it out:

Our Twilight Chronicles

Are You Tough Enough?

2009-04-22T15:30:00.002-04:00

Jordan was always my favorite.

Donnie so fierce in this video!

Does this bring back memories for anyone but me?

Just get on the floor and do the New Kids' dance!

Half a year already?!

2009-04-21T22:18:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that Isaac is already 6 months old!!

Time truly flies.

Here are some firsts...tooth, sitting, cereal!

Enjoy.

Tea Party!

2009-04-20T23:26:00.003-04:00

We found out about Columbus' Tax Day Tea Party the night before.

We decided it was something we wanted to participate in, and so we made some signs and headed on down!

We heard a couple of speakers and saw some other interesting signs and then went home! It was well worth it!

I am so grateful to live in this country where we can express ourselves freely!

I think it is so sad though that some people consider me a hostile, racist, extremist because I participated in this 'Tea Party.' *sigh*

The crowd...about 600!

A great quote.

Lucas missed his nap that day. :)

Ethan's sign! Isaac ended up wearing it later.

Ethan's original seat!

The Harpers, expressing themselves. :)

Eggy Days

2009-04-20T22:56:00.004-04:00

We love Easter at our house!!

We are lucky to have family close by. Ian's brother, Travis, and his family came over the day before Easter to have Easter dinner and an egg hunt with us.

Here is a shot of the cousins waiting for the daddies to hide the eggs! :)

Roo waiting patiently (and saying 'cheese!') for the hunt to begin!

On Easter itself we colored some eggs.

I saw in a magazine a new trick to coloring eggs and thought we'd try it.

You take 100% silk ties and cut the widest part off, tie that around a raw egg, and boil it for 15 mins.

The pattern transfers to the egg! Magic!

Checking out the 'tied' eggs...

I figured I'd go ahead and boil our eggs for the coloring at the same time...not exactly the best idea! :)

The color from the ties bled onto the white eggs...luckily it only turned them greyish, so they were still able to be colored.

This is a messy shot, but I wanted to include it because you can see the lovely yellow tulips that we discovered we have under our mailbox!

The 'tied' eggs are the ones with the fancy patterns. Ian took a couple of them that the pattern had only lightly transferred onto and dipped them into the coloring water to make 'em prettier.

We had a great time!

It's even more fun eating them. :)

Ethan has decided he doesn't like the middle, but he does like to 'hatch' them. :)

Tasty!

More Matchy-Matchy and A Jumping Gift

2009-04-13T22:11:00.006-04:00

Thank you, Target, for fueling my matching shirts obsession. Wahoo!

We decided to treat our family to a 'Tax Return Gift'. Not something we usually do, but hey...what are Sam's Club memberships for?!

Here is Daddy, trying to get it set up before the Boysies go to bed.

Whee! Fun even before it's a circle!

Oooh...it's literally starting to take shape!

Obviously the boys were long asleep...

So proud of himself!

Wait. I got two splinters and sore arms from helping out. Where's my pic? Oh yeah. I'm always the one behind the camera!

What I can't believe is that I didn't get pics of the boys jumping on it the next day!

But, as you can see...they did actually partake of the jumping.

Well, Ethan did.

Notice how he lifts up his knees...that's his version of jumping as high as he can. :)

And Roo...well, he was quite unsure. :)

Matchy-Matchy and Happy Happy

2009-03-23T13:51:00.010-04:00

I love to dress the boys in matching shirts. I have since Roo was born.

However, it is really hard to find three shirts that all match.

Luckily I found three of the same shirt in just the right sizes at Carter's! Yay!

So here they are...

I love this pic because it just shows their personalties. Especially Lucas! :) Note Ethan's 'video watch'...my old Power Puff girls watch that doesn't work any more. :)

We have been so blessed to have happy babies. Here is evidence that Isaac fits that mold also. :)

This is how he usually smiles! Open mouth!

My boys do the best things!

Lucas loves to sing 'The ABCs Song' and 'Twinkle Twinkle'. He adds an extra verse to 'Twinkle' that Ian taught him ... 'When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon, then you show your little light, twinkle twinkle all the night.'

Ethan always has some new karate or kung fu moves to show off...here he is demonstrating some special ones, including some with his bum. :)

Isaac loooooves his saucer! As you can see.

Dusk at Night

2009-03-19T21:11:00.003-04:00

So Ian sent me to see Matt Dusk...one of my favorite singers. He's a Canadian, a crooner, and a fantastic performer! It was such fun!

Singing intently...

The line to meet him afterward...

...and meeting him afterward! :)

The proof. :)

It was a great concert. Not a lot of people there, and I think I was one of the youngest ones, but it was still enjoyable!

Here's Matt's website if you want to know more about him. :)

There's Snow Place Like Home!

2009-03-15T17:31:00.004-04:00

We.

Got.

SNOW!!!!

We woke up on Sunday, March 1st, and heard the rain.

Then we heard some hail.

THEN we saw some snowflakes!! I canNOT even tell you how excited we were!!

I personally adore snow, when it comes in small doses.

Ian loves snow because it means skis. Which hadn't been out of their case in about 8 years!

The boys love snow because...well...they're boys and kids! :)

They had never seen snow, but they were sure ready to go out and enjoy it!!

Even Isaac!

Unfortnately we didn't think to take the camera out and take pictures of them actually IN the snow...but they were! Really! :)

Church was cancelled and it felt like a real snow day all around. It was awesome!

Ethan AND Lucas -isms

2009-03-11T13:17:00.002-04:00

Just now Ethan said, "Mom, it sounds like I am growing muscles in my butt."

"In your butt?!"

"Yeah, and my arms are growing longer. I have lots of energy. The more I sleep, the more energy I get."

HA!

And on Sunday, after church, we had a potluck lunch. When we walked outside, I was holding Lucas.

The wind started to blow and he said, "Oh NO! My hee-air!" (hair) and put his hand on his head.

And when we tell him he is going to get a spank for disobeying, he says, "Mo gank you, Mommy." (No thank you)

Love love love my boys.

Little Isaac Man

2009-03-10T17:17:00.001-04:00

Took a few pictures of Isaac trying to get the right shot for a comparison picture.

I loved all the faces he made during the "shoot" so I put them into a slideshow. Enjoy!

New Writings From Me. :)

2009-03-09T23:20:00.002-04:00

I decided to start a new blog.

Not that I update this one a lot but I figured I'd try.

As most of you know, I am prone to obsession.

So that's the topic of my new blog!

Take a peek: Slightly OCD Mom of Three.

Enjoy, and lemme know what you think!

All Floured Up

2009-03-04T15:12:00.004-05:00

So during Joy School last week, I decided to teach about making things. The kids got to make choices about what to make for lunch, they made a friendship card, and they made music.

The last thing they made was a mess. :) With flour. On my deck. And I took pictures.

Megan and Ethan contemplating on what to do first.

Posing for the camera!

Getting into it now!

Scoop, scoop scoop!

"Make a MEEEEEEEESS!"

And they made hats. :)

I love these pics because they show the fun that kids can have with the simplest things.

Ethanism Redux

2009-03-03T21:46:00.002-05:00

So this evening, Ian was telling the boys a story in front of the fire.

Tonight's tale was 'Cinderella'.

As Ian got to the part where the step-mom locks Cinderella in her room, he said, "But the step-mother didn't know about all the shennanigans Cinderella had been up to."

Ethan piped up and said, "What's a shennanigan?"

Ian: "Well, it's...*pause*"

So I said, from the living room where I was changing Tiny's diaper, "It's doing something you're not supposed to do."

*pause*

So I said, "It's causing trouble."

*pause*

Ethan: "I sometimes do that." said very earnestly.

Ian and I couldn't help but laugh. :)

Ethanisms For Today

2009-02-25T22:16:00.003-05:00

So I had two conversations with Ethan today that I had to relate.

One happened in the car, out of the blue.

Here's how it went.

Ethan: "Mom, I know I'm getting older."
Me: "Really? How do you know that?"
Ethan: "Because my body told me."
Me: "Your body told you?"
Ethan: "Yes, I think my body hates me."
Me: "Hates you? Um...I don't think so."
Ethan: "Yeah. I'm getting older."

?!

The next was also out of the blue.

Ethan: "Mom, how does Heavenly Father send the babies down?"
Me: "Send the babies down?"
Ethan: "Yeah, to the ground. When they are born."
Me: "Well, I am not sure. When we are born, we forget what happened before we are born, so I am not sure."
Ethan: "Well, I know how He sends them down."
Me: "Oh yeah? How?"
Ethan: "A Heaven Train."
Me: "A Heaven Train? And how does that work?"
Ethan: "Well it's a big long train with no caboose. It has long cars, lots of cars. And all the babies are in the cars. That's all."
Me: "Well! Okay." (Speechless!)

I love love love talking to this child.

SciQuest Away!

2009-02-25T15:39:00.007-05:00

We took a trip the first weekend in February to Huntsville, AL to see Ian's parents.

While we were there, we went to SciQuest , which is a science center for kids. SO fun!!

Here are some videos of our good time. :)

Playing with magnetic sand

Making bubbles!

And making music!

Mama Confessions 1

2009-02-24T23:40:00.003-05:00

I feel a need to confess a few things.

Be forewarned that I might have to revisit my confessions in a future post.

Also ... these are not for the faint of heart.

;)

1. I don't like fruit snacks or cereal bars, yet I feed them to my children.
2. I sometimes order myself a Happy Meal.
3. When there are bits of the boys' meals leftover, they often find their way into my mouth.
4. Oreos are my downfall.
5. I could watch 'Imagination Movers' of my own accord. Same with listening to their 'Juice Box Heroes' album.
6. Roo often has a messy face.
7. There are days I look forward to the Boys' bedtime like nothing else.
8. I have purchased cereal based solely on the toy inside. And not at the suggestion of the boys.
9. I don't dust. My mom taught me better by far, but I just never find it in me to actually DO it.
10. I watch my children sleep and say thank you prayers for them.

Rites of Passage

2009-02-18T14:32:00.005-05:00

Before I launch into my post I've been thinking about, here are a couple fun pics of my loves.

My handsome men. :) Lucky me to be surrounded by such guys!

Lookit that happy grin! I love to bring it out in him. Luckily it comes out easily! :)

My silly Roo! He found these 'glasses' and had to put them on.

Who knows what he's thinking...but I love his sweet face!

Okay...here's what I have been pondering.

Tiny has been sick for a couple of days. I felt SO badly for him...babies shouldn't be allowed to get tummy viruses. But I realized that there are certain Rites of Passage of Parenthood, good and bad, that most (if not all) parents go through.

Unfortunately I went through two in the past couple of days: literally walking the floor with a crying baby, and seeing my little 4 month old puke his guts out. *sniffle* That made me think of other Rites of Passage that I (and Ian) have gone through. Here's what I thought of:

1. Going to Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday night.
2. Flying with an infant/toddler alone.
3. Flying with and infant AND toddler alone.

4. Seeing your child truly terrified (see Ethan's pictures here from the roller coaster).

5. Reading and reading and reading and reading the saaaame book over and over to your kids.

6. Buying a new car to accomodate your growing family.

7. Having a child puke in said car. While you're driving.

Those are the only ones my (tired) brain can think of right now. I am sure there are more. What do you think?

The main thing I know is that they are all worth it.

And now...to see if I can get some rest time in. My legs are tired from that walking.

Loves of My Life

2009-02-11T15:48:00.003-05:00

Here, again for your viewing pleasure, are 3 of the loves of my life being filmed by the 4th.

Quest of the ... Month? And a Thanks!

2009-02-11T15:30:00.006-05:00

So I have VERY little cabinet space in my new house. I neeeeed something more. I want something similar to this

...only not quite so utilitarian and boring. And of course, it can't be expensive.

Expensive being defined as over $150.

Any ideas?

While I feed Tiny, I love to read. (if the other ruggers let me) Lately I have been fueling my 'Twilight' obsession by reading a book given to me by my sister Liss and brother-in-law Matt for Christmas.

It's the 'Twilight Movie Companion.' Yep. I'm a geek. And I love it. THANK YOU, Liss and Matt. :)

Ties No More

2009-02-03T16:07:00.002-05:00

Why is it that people assume some women are pregger?

I personally don't think I look pregnant. And I'm not writing this post so people will tell me the same thing.

What I'm complaining about is like I said above...assumptions.

Let me 'splain:

On Sunday I wore one of my favorite shirts to church. Before church I thought (and told Ian) that I should cut the ties off of it, as they serve no purpose and make it look like a maternity shirt. But I didn't.

I met a couple of new people at church, and one of the ladies I met asked about my kids. I told her I had three boys. Roo was with me and Ethan was nearby. Isaac was with Ian across the room.

Conversation went like this:

"Yes, I have three boys. Lucas here is 2, and Ethan right there is 4."

"Oh and the one on the way is another boy?"

"No, my youngest is 3 months old and is with my husband over there." And I pointed to Ian, as I mentally made a note to buy some Spanx ASAP.

"Ohhh...he's only 3 months old." As she glances at my tummy and says it in a voice of comprehension.

Like I said...why assume? Sure, I'm not in perfect shape, but honestly? I would never act like I knew someone was pregnant unless they told me.

Even if they're wearing what might be a maternity shirt, or not. Even if it's blatantly obvious. You know what they say about assuming.

So someone pass me the scissors. And a Nutty Bar.

Work it, Sugar! On de Moose!

2009-02-02T22:51:00.002-05:00

First off, I have to admit that I ganked this first video from a friend of my cousin's blog.

She had it there and I just thought it was too funny to pass up.

So, do it to it!

And this is just for fun.

The Swedish Chef is my favorite Muppet.

On de moose!

Awarded!

2009-02-01T22:46:00.002-05:00

I'm funny!

Or at least someone besides me thinks I am. :)

Thanks, Chrystina!

So it works like this:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

Now you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but it's fun! :)

I'm going to nominate:

Kim -- http://randomramblingsfromamotherof5.blogspot.com/

Shelice -- http://garyandshelicemurphy.blogspot.com/
Emily -- http://emnrj.blogspot.com/
Angie -- http://thelinesfam.blogspot.com/
Nikki -- http://kevinandnicki.blogspot.com/

Lisa -- http://johnsonfamilywebsite.blogspot.com/

Laura -- http://ljrockwell.blogspot.com/

Aubri -- http://oursimplelittlethings.blogspot.com/

Staci -- http://icatsearalsmada.blogspot.com/

Myra/Jen -- http://milaellie.blogspot.com/

Now go forth and read and award. :)

You Make Bathtime So Much Fun!

2009-01-30T16:19:00.003-05:00

My little Isaac-Man!

He looooooves baths.

I loooooove his chubby legs. :)

Things I Thought I'd Never Say

2009-01-26T22:34:00.003-05:00

1. Please get off your brother's stomach. I doubt he really does like you bouncing on it.
2. *while looking at a red pepper which child hates* Must be a piece of carrot.
3. Please leave that penis alone, it is not yours.
4. No more fire breathing at the table.
5. Can you please not slice me?
6. No, that's mud, not poop.
7. I am going to find some gypsies and SELL you to them. They will make you pick up cow poo. And then during a bout of misbehaving some days later: GYPSIES!!

I love having children.

Catching Up And Such

2009-01-24T22:32:00.009-05:00

Yippee!!! We have new digs...

And we love it! We are still surrounded by boxes and packing paper and craziness...

but it is awesome.

Welcome to Fortson.

What do you get when you combine an activity from my playgroup and Joy School?

Pony rides!! :)

A very nice lady owns a large area of land and has two ponies. She allowed our playgroup (and the Joy School kids) come and ride the ponies and eat s'mores.

They had a fabulous time!! And so did we.

Mommy got s'mores too. Hee!

Brantley and Ethan riding in the pony cart.

Cute girls (Megan and Brantley) waiting their turn!

Ethan's first pony ride! YAY!!

And Roo's preferred ride.
He would have nothing to do with the horses. :)

Their first ever s'mores! Ethan decided halfway through that he was done.
Mmm...more s'mores for Mommy! :)

So we had our friends, The Israel Family over for dinner one Sunday night. We all went into the living room after eating, except Lucas...he apparently wanted more of the pasta salad and fruit salad! :)

I've Been Tagged!

2008-12-09T23:46:00.002-05:00

I Got Tagged!

My friend Aubri tagged me. Eight is the magic number. Here we go!

8 Favorite TV shows I love to watch:

CSI
CSI: NY (I'm sensing a theme...)
What Not to Wear
Crusoe (my guilty pleasure!)
Top Chef (I like to pretend I know what they're talking about)
Ace of Cakes (again with the pretending)
Scrubs (I laugh every episode I watch!)
Friends

8 Favorite Restaurants

Country's Barbecue (LOVE their fried chicken)
Tucano's (wish we had one here)
Melting Pot (again with the wishing)
Moe's (Naked Nachos!)
Fuji's Steakhouse (suuuushi)
TGIFriday's
Panera
Longhorn Steakhouse (Flo's Filet!)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday

Fell asleep feeding Isaac
Uploaded pictures from the Santa visit on Saturday
Printed out Christmas card photos
Ate at the Hong Kong Buffet for a make-up dinner for Ethan's birthday
Read my Entertainment Weekly
Laundry and dishes
Figured out Joy School for this week
Checked for any Tupperware sales on my site :)

8 Things I am looking forward to

Christmas!!
Puerto Rico trip!!
Sleeping in a few minutes
Seeing 'Twilight' again in the theater!
Dinner Divas! Woohoo!
Making pralines
Enrichment on Thursday!
Finishing all the projects I have on my 'to-do' list
Isaac sleeping through the night :)
(Okay, that's 9)

8 Things on my Wish List

Tickets to see Matt Dusk in March!
Airplane tickets for my sisters and brother to visit me!
Shih Tzu puppy :)
A house of our very own!
'Tales of Beadle the Bard'
20 lbs gone. ;)
A cute leather jacket (or fake leather)
Cooking lessons from a chef :)

8 People I am Tagging (if you haven't already done it, of course)

Angie
Kim
Nicki
Em C
Staci
Shelice
Spencer
Erin

Santa and Silverware

2008-12-09T23:08:00.005-05:00

So the Civil War Naval Museum here in town does a thing every December where they have Santa come dressed in Civil War era garb....

And we went! As you can see:

My First Santa Picture

Roo and The Big Guy

Ethan and Mr. Claus

The Santa was SO cool...he was so nice and talkative with the kids. I loved it! I wish I could remember what Ethan said he wanted.

Lucas didn't say anything...Santa said, 'Toys?' and Roo said, 'Uh-huh.' And that proceeded to be his answer to all the questions Santa asked. :)

And I HAD to take a pic of Isaac before we left to see Santa.

Roo and Ethan picked out a frozen meal the other day. Lucas decided to go whole hog on it.

He mainly enjoyed the 'de-dup' (ketchup).

This evening I was feeding Isaac in my chair and Ethan was sitting at the coffee table. Ian and I were talking about Ethan's nose (for some reason) and Ian said,'Whose nose do you think he has?' and I said,'I think he has yours.'

Pause.

Then Ethan says, pointing to his nose,'No Mom, this is my own.' very seriously. :)

And Now You Know Why...

2008-11-21T18:52:00.002-05:00

...it's been so long since I posted!

This is the reason:

A good reason, yes? :)

Isaac Dee Harper was born on October 17th, 2008 at 7:58 AM with NO EPIDURAL. *patting my own back* Go me! That was not by choice, by the way. :) He was 7 lbs. 14 oz, and 20.5 inches long. And apparently he 'shot' out...the doctor said something like,'That was an airmail delivery!'.

Heh!

More updated pictures later, along with some of what else we've been up to!

Am I Really?

2008-10-16T21:54:00.002-04:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and since I love 'Twilight', I thought I'd do it too!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Pants and Pumpkins

2008-10-08T21:43:00.002-04:00

Ethan asked Ian to help him tie up Ian's old karate pants...so Ian tied them WAAAY up.

Walking pants!! Cracked us up!

We had a pumpkin painting party in the park with our playgroup (say that ten times fast!).

Here they are at home with the finished products!

I said 'Show me your pumpkins!' and here is what they did. :)

All's Fair Redux!

2008-10-08T20:56:00.007-04:00

We did it again!

We took the boys to the Columbus Fair this year. We didn't stay as long as we did last year, but we still had a great time!

Ethan rode the Ferris Wheel with Ian this time, and of course, he loved it! They are in the car right above the red thing.

Both boys rode the little train...you can see they were happy when they started (Ethan has a habit of licking his lips...poor chapped lips!)...Roo really wanted to go on the 'doo-doo' (choo-choo) but ended up NOT liking it.

Ethan really wanted to ride the dragon 'roller-poster'...and ended up NOT liking it.

Go figure!

Ethan really liked the boat ride. Waterless even!

How Lucas' and I roll...I feel like I shoulda been the one being pushed around on something with wheels! HA! :)

The carousel was calling Ethan's name...he originally said he wanted to ride on a bench (?!) but I convinced him one of the animals would be more fun. :)

Lucas' favorite ride of all...

We treated them to a lemonade/strawberry slushie.

Yum. Communal slurps! Wahoo!

I didn't make $50 this year...Ian decided to ride the Claw of Frightening Height and Speed (see my post from last year's Fair excursion) as I figured if I rode it this year, this child might just fly out into the basketball net in the booth next door.

'Course maybe I'd have won a giant fluorescent pink ape.

I should remember that for next time.

The Oh Night Divine Part

2008-09-30T23:17:00.004-04:00

Yeah so I decided to post that other one before I put the pics I have from Matt's wedding up. :)

We had a great time in FL!!

We drove down on Friday in our minivan (loooooved it) and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Biba , a cute little old school motor inn that has been renovated and updated.

After check-in we headed over to the Colony Hotel to meet Jennifer and to attend the rehearsal dinner. Very nice hotel, really pretty and cozy. We had a great time meeting Matt and Jennifer's family and eating some tasty 'fancy' cookout food. :)

Saturday morning I dropped Ian off at the Colony so he could do some 'guy things' (getting a straight razor shave for one!) with Matt and the other groomsmen. After that I drove down Dixie Hwy for fun and then went to the spa!

That's right, I said spa. :) Ian sent me to Kaffee's Garden Spa for a couple of hours of relaxation.

And Oh. My. Word. It was beyond fun. :) I loved every second of it!! I got a pedicure, a manicure (my first ever mani!), and a mini facial (my first ever facial too!). It was heaven. :) My toenails and nails were so pretty and I practically fell asleep during the facial. :)

I don't know all the lotions and potions that she put on my face but it sure felt good and looked even better afterward! One of the masks she put on was a pumpkin and pineapple one...I practically wanted to taste it because it smelled so good! :)

After that I went back and just relaxed and then got myself all gussied up for the wedding! I had a good time getting all dressed up by myself...without interference. :)

Ian looked AWESOME in his penguin suit! SO handsome. I am so lucky. :)

The ceremony was outside, and nice and small and intimate. And so very Matt. :) It was officiated by a rabbi, which was a new experience for me. And Matt of course was his usual fun and jovial self during the ceremony, which I loved. :)

After the ceremony was over, there was a cocktail reception with some tasty hors d'ouevres (chicken satay, lamb chops, sushi, etc.), and then the dinner/reception.

The reception area was set so prettily with roses and everything...really good food too, and great music from a band that Matt takes pictures for. We even got on the dance floor and boogied a little bit! Me with my big ole belly even! :)

All in all it was a great evening!! We had such a fun time, it was just unbelieveable! Matt's sister, Lauren, and her hubby Tony, were such a blast to talk to. They may come up to GA sometime and stop by to say hi! Yay!

And Matt and Jennifer are PERFECT for each other!! Ian and I were both just busting with happiness :) for the both of them. :)

Sunday we stopped by our condo to meet our renters...weird to have to knock on the door that I used to go in and out everyday. :) They were both very nice and the condo looks fantastic! YAY!

Then we came home to Ian's parents' house and were able to spend a little more time with Leah and her fam!

Alrighty! Here are some of the pics that we took in our hotel room after the wedding. So I look a little bedraggled and tired, but that's ok. Ian put his bowtie back on for the pics because he wanted to look complete!

Enjoy. :)

All dressed up and huge! :) Jill, Ian's mom, let me borrow a purse that used to be Monique's! Monique is Ian's dad's mom.

And from the side. :)

Here's how I did my hair....it was a LOT curlier early on in the night. :) I used a really pretty clip that Ian bought me in FL at a Greek festival. It has green stones on it, so that's why my jewelry has green beads too. :) I made the necklace to go with the earrings I'd previously made for my trip to Toronto.

Grrrr!!

Tying one on!

Double O Ian!

Just the two of us!

One More Passing, Showered, and Oh Night Divine

2008-09-30T22:26:00.007-04:00

Well, we can't keep 'em I guess.

Our third fish, Nissan (means 'second guy' in Japanese) died while we were in Warner Robins.

Yaya is still alive and...well...kicking. :)

Ian took out the middle of the tank so Yaya can have the whole thing to himself. We may get another fish, but if we do, we will put them in separate tanks. Ian is convinced that Yaya is somehow killing off the others. Yaya is not the same type of Betta that Toyota and Nissan were...they were crowntails.

I had my wonderful baby shower the 18th!!

Carol Ann went over and above anything I was thinking of and did a fantASTIC job!

I loved every minute of it. I was so grateful to have my friends come and play great games and eat great food. My friend Kim made some super tasty cupcakes...yum-o!!

And the gifts were so wonderful!! I loved them all. :)

Here are a few pics from the par-tay. :)

Tish is a little teapot... :)

And the one to taste the chocolate in the diapers!

And there's the belly, standing and sitting! :) About 35 weeks here!

This is the adorable set of paper products that Carol Ann got to use for the shower! I love them, they are so cute! The colors were awesome.

I can't believe I didn't get any more pics of the girls at the party, but we had a great time!!

We all went to Warner Robins on the 19th so that we could see Ian's sister, Leah, and her family who were coming in from WY.

Ian had to go back to work so the boys and I stayed that Sunday to Wednesday night and had a GREAT time hanging out with Leah, Spencer, SJ, Jordi, and Ian's parents.

On Tuesday we went to Lake Tobesofkee to ride the waverunners.

Lucas, SJ, and Ethan had a great time playing in the sand.

Lucas and SJ mostly threw the sand. :) Here is a shot of Lucas right about to toss a handful.

I love how you can see that his stomach muscles are all pulled in so he can really huck it.

While Leah and Spencer were on the waverunners, SJ was playing in the water. We didn't put a swim dipe on him...and the fact that his dipe soaked up tons of water for some reason cracked me up. :)

Here are my boysies eating their favorite dessert. :) Ethan wanted to sit in a chair with a tray too, and have a bib, just like Lucas. :)

Sweet little Jordi! Wish I'd gotten a pic of her with her beautiful eyes open! Her onesie says "This is my little black dress." I sent it to her. :)

Halloween??

2008-09-12T12:22:00.002-04:00

Yep, I did it.

I put up our Halloween decorations already!

I figured that I would be a leeeetle bit busy at the beginning or middle of October having a baby, so I might as well get it done now!

Plus, I LOVE Halloween!

The boys are already picking out their costumes. Well, Ethan is, at least. :) Lucas doesn't get a choice. HA!

They are going to coordinate for at least one set of costumes. If I buy them in time! I would love to make them, but again with the busy.

Our playgroup already has two pumpkin themed playdates scheduled for October, which I love. We are going to the pumpkin patch again this year, and we are having a pumpkin painting/carving party in the park. Wahoo!

I love fall! I love the weather changes and the leaf changes and the whole season.

But wait until Christmas time. Ooh doggies.

I am going to put up my Christmas decorations early too.

Just wait. :)

New Roommates, Couch Destruction, Duds (?), and Words

2008-08-28T21:18:00.006-04:00

Well, we broke down and did it!

About 2 weeks ago we were at Wal-Mart and called Daddy to ask if we could get a fish.

We ended up getting TWO. HA!

Luckily they are the fairly low maintenance type.

Meet our Bettas!

The blue and white one is the one Ethan picked. His name is Toyota.

The red one is Lucas', and his name is Yaya. Closest we could decipher from when we asked him what he'd like to name it. :)

They live in a divided tank which in the middle has a removable blue part that covers the wall. Supposedly if you remove the blue thing once in a while it is good for them, promotes 'flaring' because they can see each other and get mad. HA!

As you can see, Toyota is already flared and they can't see each other in this pic. So! He must be one angry guy.

I thought I'd share a picture of my poor couch.

This destruction happens on a regular basis.

Usually starts with "Mom, can I build a couch cushion fort?"

It cracks me up how you can see Roo's diaper hanging out! :)

Ethan's favorite Primary song is "When Jesus Christ Was Baptized"...here he is singing it.

Notice his choice of words for the very last word.

It's supposed to be 'dove'... ;)

Here is my little Roo showing off a bit...with my coaching. :)

I love my boys!!!

Dress Up Day

2008-08-28T13:38:00.002-04:00

Well, we decided to pull out our costumes and play 'dress up'!

This was the first time for both boys to do this, and they had a great time.

By the time Ethan got to his dog costume (from last year), he was set, and he wore that the rest of the time.

Lucas kept swtiching back and forth. :)

Here is a slideshow of their efforts! :)

My Olympic Moments ... So far.

2008-08-22T21:14:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share my favorite Olympic moment:

Mens' 4 x 100 Meter Freestyle

This was such a fun race to watch! Jason Lezak kicked butt! It was awesome!

Then there's my least favorite so far:

Nastia Liukin receives silver on the uneven bars.

Nastia was robbed. I think the scoring for gymnastics sucks. Not that I know enough about it to make that statement, but it was frustrating. Like I said, I don't know much about gymnastics, and even I thought Nastia's routine was better. Ah well.

Musings from My 3 1/2 yr Old

2008-08-20T21:37:00.003-04:00

Here are two funny things that Ethan said.

I seriously laughed out loud, especially the one from yesterday.

Today:

In the car, he said, "You sure are lucky, Mom."

I said, "Why, because you're my son?" *smile*

*pause*

"No, because you don't have to wear clothes to bed."

*me laughing to myself*

"I DO wear clothes to bed."

"Mom, garments are not clothes."

HA!!!

And from yesterday:

Ian had called at lunch time to tell me about how he'd gotten caught going through a red light. Oops!

Ethan asked to talk to him. He got on the phone and said,"Hi Daddy! Did you get caught at a red light?"

*Ian answers in the affirmative*

"Oh, did you get a ticket?"

*Ian again answers in the affirmative*

"Oh okay, just throw it out your window, Daddy!"

If only it were that easy, son!!

He says the best things, honestly!

Random Facts

2008-08-18T23:20:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I am copying Shelice again!

She posted 10 random things about her, and I thought that was fun, so here we go!

10. I don't like most brownies. The only ones I like are the ones that Ian makes and the ones his dad makes.

9. I was Prom Queen my senior year in high school.

8. When I shower, or put on my makeup, I do the same things in the same order.

7. In 8th grade, I ran track. I did the sprint medley and the 400 hurdles.

6. I am a (not so) secret Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, and Bee Gees fan.

5. There are several hobbies I wish I had time to pursue: card-making, cake decorating, and scrapbooking.

4. I use 3 pillows when I sleep: one for my head, one for my knees, one for my arms.

3. I don't mind bugs or reptiles, except big spiders and roaches. Blergh.

2. I (like Shelice said) am not the grown-up or the parent I thought I'd be. In some ways I am better, and in some ways worse.

1. I am trying to make as many 'green' choices for my family as I can. We use cloth diapers, reuseable grocery bags, organic eggs and lunch meats, etc.

Okay your turn!!

Toddler Nudity

2008-08-18T13:57:00.003-04:00

Hee!

Sorry about the nakee Roo but I love this.

We had just gotten done swimming and the boys were showering with Dad and I just thought it was too funny to pass up.

Robbin' the Cradle

2008-08-12T22:10:00.003-04:00

Okay so this may be weird...but I figured out two stars that I think are adorable.

And they are BOTH younger than me.

HA!

Oh well. They're still cute, right?

Daniel Radcliffe, of the Harry Potter movies

And Joe Jonas, of Jonas Brothers fame.

If they are this cute this young, imagine how cute they'll be in a few years.

I sound like a schoolgirl! Ah well..sue me. :)

Speaking of Harry Potter, the trailer for 'Half-Blood Prince' has me drooling. For the MOVIE. Not for Daniel. ;)

Watch it here!

Wahoo!

Meeeeeeemories!

2008-08-12T21:57:00.003-04:00

My friend Shelice put this on her blog and I thought it was fun. :) You play too!!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, if it is recent or years old, silly or serious -- anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Learned

2008-08-07T20:36:00.005-04:00

Things I've learned recently:

I shouldn't start a load of laundry at night. I never feel like switching it to the dryer and then putting it away.
Marie Callender's Turkey with Stuffing and Green Beans with Cranberries takes SEVEN minutes to cook in the microwave! SEVEN. But it's worth it.
Banana Split Creme Oreos...Yum.
I really don't mind wrong number phone calls to my house.
'Phineas and Ferb' is fun and even entertaining.
I like Ashley Tisdale. She makes me laugh.
Even when I am pregger, Coke is still yucky.

That's all I can think of right now!! :)

At the request of Nicki, here is a shot of our new van (pre-bonk!). And handsome Ian! :)

Dawn, Bonks, and Red Spots!

2008-08-06T21:39:00.007-04:00

It's me again!

A month. Sheesh.

I am so bad at this! LOL!

Let's see where we're at.

Last night I finished 'Breaking Dawn'....

All I can say is:

Love love love love love.

LOVE it!!!! If you haven't read the 'Twilight' series...DO it. NOW. It is so good.

So!
We have had our new van for 2 months...and someone bonked it!

Argh.

I was parked at Barnes and Noble last Saturday to meet Mouse Cookie (Roo was a little unsure of Mouse)

and when the boys and I came back out, there were two dents by my back left tire! *sigh*

Luckily the guy left a note! YAY for nice people! Ian called him and on the phone he was really nice, too.

SO! Right now the van is in the shop to be fixed and I am in a rental.

Ethan wants to keep the rental because it is RED. His favorite. :)

As many of you know, I have started selling Tupperware!

YAY! Go me!!

Need any??

If you do, here's My Site ... feel free to shop!! LOL!!

Ian's Grandpa Harper passed away on Friday, August 1st.

He was a kind, generous, and fascinating man. He will be missed, but we know he is happy with his family that he is able to see now! Ian is going to be one of the pallbearers for his interment.

On a different note...

Here are some pics of the boys!

Here we'd had some pizza and for some reason the places on Roo's face where sauce had gotten turned all splotchy and red! I don't know if you can tell in this pic...

I love when they walk like this!! I think it is so adorable!!

And of course I made them turn around and smile. Love this pic!!

I caught them both 'reading'...I thought it was so funny they were just sitting by each other and turning the pages and enjoying their books!

And then Lucas of course wanted to get up and 'Eee!' for the camera! Who can resist?! :)

Me with the Lame Updates!

2008-07-09T20:36:00.004-04:00

Again I say...I don't update!

But I should do more! :)

So here are some pics.

Here is BatLucas! He felt so grown up with his brother's mask on. :)

And of course, BatEthan. He looooooves superheroes!

My Joy School graduate!

Hawaiian Roo!

Ready for church!

Here is Roo, showing off his belly and his Just Ducky cloth diaper! Fun!

We went strawberry picking at Lane Packing in Ft. Valley, GA with Grandpa Trash and Grandma JJ...as you can see, Ethan had a great time. :)

We decided to paint one day. I had Ethan take off his shirt and use a bag as a smock. LOL! He kept saying, 'Man, I love to paint!'

It was Lucas' first time painting...he was unsure at first! But then he liked it.

Has It Really Been 3 Months?!

2008-04-23T15:31:00.003-04:00

Wow.

So yeah, updating is apparently not my forte.

But now I am!!

So here ya go.

This is a video of SmileyFace showing off.

Messy Times

2008-01-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a video we took at The Magic House in St. Louis. Looks like fun, eh?

And Lucas in the baby seat!

Ian's family has a tradition of giving the baby on their first birthday a bowl of ice cream and Oreos and letting them go at it. So here is Lucas with his!

Bath Time Buddies

2007-11-27T15:55:00.000-05:00

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel...

Here's another video for your watching enjoyment. :)

They both LOVE baths!

Peekaboo?

2007-11-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

This is my cute nephew this past weekend playing peekaboo. :)

What GamerHubby missed was right after that, he ran head-on into the video cabinet with the towel on his head.

HA!

It Takes a Village!

2007-11-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

We are...no, wait...I am ready for Christmas! I love love love this time of year!!

I've already started to pull out our Christmas decoration boxes...although I've only got two out so far.

One is our box with our Christmas village...YAY!! I am slightly obsessed with my village.

I bought some new people and a new fire station this year...

And I'd love to have these too!

Hot Chocolate Tower

"Will You Marry Me?"

I think they're so cute!!!

Now to arrange our furniture to fit the tree...

Halloweenish Things

2007-11-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

It's a dog eat dog world!

Awww...

See?!

Moooooom!

Arrrrgh!!

Bathtime Buddies.

Many Faces and Castle Places

2007-10-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

We have a new adventure! Cloth diapering! SmartyPants and SmileyFace look so cute in their diapers! And they have the best names...KnickerNappies, Fuzzi Buns, Happy Heinys...I could go on. Don't they look adorable?

Awww...how sweet.

We were making pretzels and oops! SmartyPants spilled the flour!

Poor guy had strep. So pathetic looking!

Bag o' baby Lucas!

Lookit what I made! :-) My first ever 'diaper cake'. I made it for Kristin's baby shower.

Look how cute! Pregger sisters!!

How I Made My $50...

2007-10-17T15:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the actual ride I took! Ian managed to shoot this video while I was up in the air, thinking I was going to die. :)

All's Fair...

2007-09-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

So the boys went to their first fair last Thursday night! The Greater Columbus Fair is ... well ... great!!

Here's the way SmileyFace rolls...what a 'sweet' ride!

We've discovered a slightly dangerous skill that SmartyPants has...

SmartyPants was DYING to ride the Ferris Wheel, so CrazyMom took him up, up, and away! Here we are waiting in line.

Apparently it rained before we got there...

And SmileyFace and GamerDaddy waited on the ground!

SmartyPants may just have a new nickname...DAREDEVIL! See him in action...

Speaking of daredevils...CrazyMom doesn't do big scary fast rides. So GamerDaddy says he'll pay CrazyMom $50 if she'll ride this:

The Claw of Frightening Height and Speed!!!! *gasps from audience*

Also known as...

The Fireball!!

*insert ominous music.

Needless to say...

CrazyMom is $50 richer!!

Go me!!!

'Cause you know what they say...

All's fair ...

Goatees and Teeth

2007-09-11T16:29:00.000-04:00

Well, Smileyface has 6 teeth now!! :) You wouldn't know he was getting them in unless you stuck your finger in there. Which is a dangerous proposition as he loves to chew on things! :) As you can see by the yogurt goatee, he loves to eat too.

SmartyPants has started Joy School and we love it!

We had it at our house for the first time today, yahoo!!

Now to get SmartyPants as excited about things he has to do ....

Kachow!

2007-08-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

Go me!!! I took a self-defense class with the Playgroup that I am a part of and here's a pic from it. I am so tough!! :)

The Amazing Lucas

2007-08-23T15:34:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start by posting about Smileyface.

Two teeth! Count 'em...two! On the bottom, in the middle. Can you believe it? Is it really time for teeth already?! And almost crawling too...up on the knees and rocking and sometimes falling flat on his face to reach something in front of him. Time truly flies.

He is his brother's .... brother. He absolutely loves applesauce. Kid loves to eat almost anything in fact. He'll yell at me if I don't get a bite in his mouth fast enough!

Laughing is his favorite thing to do. He's such a smiler! I love it.

And you should see him right before bath! I set him on the floor and he just wiggles and wiggles and smiles and talks and laughs because he knows what's coming next!

Pictures to come soon.

Welcome to Casa Harper!

2007-08-23T15:17:00.000-04:00

Aloha and welcome!!

I have succumbed! Yes, it's true, the Columbus Harpers have a blog. I am a lemming, I admit. But hey, it works!

I hope you all will enjoy reading this. If I don't post as often as you'd like, please chastise. :)