Lammy Joins Us for Lunch

Raleigh takes such good care of her lamb. He even got to eat lunch with us. Today Raleigh asked, "Why are dinosaurs stinky?" And I asked, "Stinky?" Then she said, "Yeah. You said that dinosaurs stink." And then I said, "Extinct, Raleigh. Ex-TINCT." Which reminds me, today Madeline told me that I have a lot of molars. Molars? "Yeah, all over your tummy." WHAT? "Oh, MOLES. Yeah, moles." Now we know why our kids seem to be clueless sometimes when we talk to them. Because I have a lot of molars and dinosaurs are stinky.

An Ally Sighting . . .

Um, Ally?? Is that you??? . . .

Now, Really, Can Anyone Get Enough of This Girl??

Phoenix & Choobix

Aren't these the two cutest grandkids you have EVER seen? (Until next week when Baby Dade comes- can't wait!) Notice Phoenix's side-ponytail in pic #3. And poor Choo Choos got a sunburn.

An Easter Family Photo

Not bad. The girls are dressed up, and D&D are wearing stripes. Dionne's face looks like a tomato, Raleigh is holding Choobs' head forward, and Madeline is just b-a-r-e-l-y looking at the camera. Dallas, you look great!! 

Our Sterling Scholar- A Few Words about Madeline

Now, don't you just want to pinch those chubby little cheeks and tickle her under her little chin-roll?? And stick out your front two teeth a little?? Miss Madeline read her first book, TOO! It's a book of 3- to 5-letter words that Grandma and Grandpa gave her for Easter. She wanted to try reading her book since Raleigh knew how to read HER book. So we worked on putting the letter sounds together, and she GOT IT!! It was quite surreal. The Critter can read!

Here's Madeline on her way to preschool. She loves to go to school. She especially loves her teacher, Miss Jennifer, and all of her friends. She comes home with all of the latest 4-year-old gossip, and she tells us things that she is learning, such as: the rules for flying kites, the Nile is in Egypt, Miss Jennifer's blow dryer broke this morning, the ASL sign for ABC's along with the sounds each letter makes. She has also developed intense fears for "Leo the Lion" (she thinks he lives in our bathroom and insists that "he IS real, Mom.") and leprechauns (who were very mischevious in her classroom around St. Patty's Day).

What's My Nationality?

Today in the car we were discussing the girls' cousins' last name- how it is hard to pronounce because their dad is from the Phillipines. Then we started talking about how if you have a dad from the Phillipines, then you are half Filipino. Raleigh put it all together: that means we are HALF Orem, HALF Georgian, and HALF Utah. Right, Raleigh.

Don't Mess with My Sweet Girl!!

If you refer to #9 on the "Tag, I'm It" post, you will notice that I stated that I don't really get offended. IXNAY on that OSTPAY!! I am currently battling hard feelings for a 5-year-old bully-girl in Raleigh's kindergarten class who picked on my sweet girl! I am (mostly) over it. Luckily, Raleigh is, too. We're going to kill her with kindness. And kick her booty if she ever mouths off to Raleigh again. In other news . . .

Raleigh announced tonight, "I'm going to be a five-and-a-half-year-old artist, Mom. So if you call me to breakfast tomorrow morning, and I don't come right away, it's probably because I'm in the middle of a painting."

She Can Read!!

Tonight we decided that Raleigh should try reading a "real" book. So we pulled out If You Give a Moose a Muffin. And she READ it! We were all so excited- we kept laughing every time we turned a page!

Tag- I'm It.

I have been tagged by four different people in three different formats the last little bit, so I will take a little of each and combine them into one for anyone who cares to read about my little life.

Ten years ago: I was cruising around Raintree Apartments, partying it up with my other 18-yr-old buddies, trying to figure out what to do with my life, and gaining my freshman "23" at Burgers Supreme on the new Western delicacy: fry sauce.

Five things on my To-Do List tomorrow: Make an Easter tree (yes, that's what it says), practice Raleigh's "Word Wall" words, clean the leaves off the front porch and stairs, get two birthday presents, buy bananas. We ran out.

Things I enjoy: Talking to Dallas, talking to the girls, exercising HARD, reading, working on creative projects (I do NOT call them crafts), cooking, cleaning, boutiques, monograms, birds, textile design. Yes, textile design. Music, ballet, "Family Fun Runs," talking to my mom on the phone.

If I were a billionaire: I couldn't do it. I'm too indecisive to be a billionaire. I'm not into any great causes, so it wouldn't be right for me.

Three bad habits: Peeling my fingernails while watching American Idol, saying "yes" when I should say "no," saying "no" when I should say "yes."

Places I've lived: Oregon, Utah, Florida, Georgia, California (for a summer- does that count?)

Jobs I've had: Kmart checker, hairdresser's "assistant," Fuddrucker's baker, receptionist, legal secretary.

Most afraid of: drowning.

Favorite food: Anything with good, fresh ingredients- not including seafood.

Natural hair color: strawberry blond.

Are you a neat freak? Yes. OCD.

Ever been skinny dipping? Yes. It was weird.

Things you don't know about me:
1. I have this weird piece of hair that grows out of a mole on my wrist. I've considered having it removed.
2. I really like the way Dallas' ears look from behind. They look like other people's ears, only upside-down. Notice them- they're CUTE! I also like the way his hair comes to a point in the back- like he would've had a really cool rat tail if he had wanted to in the 80's.
3. I like beds to be perfectly made. Smooth. No wrinkles. Pillows facing the correct way. If the girls make their own beds, I fix them later when they're not looking. (see OCD statement above.)
4. I have this "spot" on my back that if anyone touches, they are DEAD MEAT. Ask Dallas. Ask Raleigh. Oh wait, are they still living?
5. I LOVE getting into a hot car. Temperature-wise. Even on the hottest summer day, I love the feeling of getting into a hot car.
6. Rain. I love rainy days. The smell. The coziness. I make soup.
7. I'm just dying to sleep through the night one time this year. Just once. That's all I ask.
8. My biggest pet peeve is when I ask someone to babysit and they bring a friend/family member, or they invite a friend/family member over while we are gone that we didn't know would be present. I don't know why, but it really gets my goat!
9. Other than that, I don't often get offended. I really like most everyone I meet, so I just assume they like me, too, and that I am not offending them, so I probably offend a lot of other people because I assume they like me just because I like them! This could be bad. But if you're ever unsure: I like you!
10. I love to talk to little kids and tease them just a little. I get it from my dad.
11. My heroes are my mom and my husband.
12. I have these flannel pj's with brown dogs and pink polka dots all over them that I love and Dallas hates. WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?? I've worn them as much as possible while he's been out of town.
13. This might be upsetting to some readers, but I only like BYU sports when BYU is playing well. Otherwise, I only like to watch college football, meaning: any other team than BYU.
14. I love to read yourheartout.com
15. Books I have read this year are: The Hiding Place (a life-changing read), Austenland (a little too steamy for my taste), The Wednesday Letters (worth reading), and half of Tending Roses (couldn't get through it). I am always reading the B of M, Healthy Sleep Happy Child, and my FAVORITE: Cuisine-at-Home.
16. I love old people. I just want to squeeze their little cheeks and poke their little buns. I think their lives are fascinating, and they are just like very wise little children. When I am old, I want to be a cross between my grandmothers, Betty Morgan, LaRee Howland, and Jean Engberson, for anyone who knows them. And Dallas will be the cutest old man.
17. Riding in a car at night gives me migraines. No fail.
18. I want to learn how to do upholstery.
19. I hope the Easter Bunny brings me the egg-shaped German truffles from Williams Sonoma. Or the carrot- or sweet pea- shaped chocolate. Yum. And cute.
20. I most often care more about aesthetics than practicality.

And THAT, dear readers is QUITE ENOUGH about me. Whew. I now tag Amanda L. And Dallas.