Conversations with Andi

This afternoon during our tea party. . .
A: "Mom, would you like some dessert, It's really yummy. I call it fish cake."
M: "Fish cake?"
A: "Yes, you'll like it, it's not poison."

Last week as I was raking leaves out of the flower beds.  .  .
A: " Mom stop! Don't throw the leaves away!"
M: "Andi, I have to. They are old yucky dead leaves."
A: "They are old?"
M: "yes, they fell off the tree and are dead, and now we have to get rid of them."
A: "What happens when YOU get old Momma?"
M: "Well, I'll die too."
A: " No! I don't want you to die!" (cue full on tears!)
M: "Andi it's going to be a very long time before Mommy get's old. In fact you will be a grown up mommy with your own babies before I die."
A: "But then I'll get old and die and my babies will be sad!"
M:(seeing no other way out of this conversation) "Yes, but that will be a long, long, long time from now, so don't worry about. Don't talk about it anymore."

Just a shot of her during play time with Daddy.

Battle at the Bernard Building

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about Thad's cardboard armor for the primary activity day? Well yesterday was the day. The activity went really well, Captain Moroni was a hit, and every time the kids spotted the lamanites (Bradon & Matthew) they charged them. Here is Moroni with the fearsome lamanites

Here is a shot of the battle after he's killed one of them.

Then we had the kids make their own shields. Here is Andi and her friend Ali showing off their shields.

Once the shields were finished the kids got to run through the stage while the lamanites threw darts at them. Here's a sweet action shot.

We also got started on our garden this weekend, and are doing things totally differently this year. We really want a mini pumpkin patch, but realized that if we plant pumpkins, that's all that will grown because they will overtake everything in our small area.Especially since we planted "giant pumpkin seeds". So we did some research on hanging gardens and planted strawberries, and an upside down tomato plant. I think it's cute.

 And here is a shot of Sammy's latest accomplishment. Playing in the kitchen sink because he can now push the chairs all over the kitchen.

Trash to Treasure

So Monday night we had a family first. At least it was a first for me and the kids. Thad needs some new camo gear for an upcoming paintball outing and so we went shopping at goodwill to find some. We did find pants for him, but we also found this rocking chair for Andi. She was so excited when she saw it, and I thought it could be this weeks project. Here is the before, and it's not even a true before because I had already taken the nasty stickers off of it and scrubbed it.

And here is the after, after some sanding, puttying, spray primer and spray paint. And then I thought it still needed a little something so I made the little cushion from the leftover material from Andi's magnet board and some leftover batting.


Excuse the fuzzy picture, Thad had the camera set on something weird and I can't get it changed. So for now I am stuck with the fuzzy photo.

Daddy's Girl

You see those pearly whites? The ones she got from Thad. One day(after braces) I know they will be the big beautiful Bulkeley smile and I will be glad she has Daddy's teeth. Until then I will curse the fact that she has daddy's weak, cavity loving teeth.

Today was her first dentist appointment, and I knew going in I was going to hear something along these lines, so I guess I wasn't surprised when he said she has 4 cavities, Just frustrated that even though she has always used adult toothpaste and has worn out many a toothbrush in her few years of even having teeth we still have a problem.

Busy Busy Busy

It has been a very productive yet relaxing weekend. Thursday morning I took the kids to Daddy's work to meet people and look around. They were entirely unimpressed, but I had a good time. Then I got a call from Home Depot saying the pantry cabinets we ordered a few weeks ago were in. Yay! Long story short, after another fiasco we finally got the dumb cabinets and will never be shopping at Home Depot ever ever again. We basically swore off the store a year or so ago, but were forced to order the pantry from them because that's where our kitchen cabinets came from and we obviously wanted them to match. We will never cheat on Lowes again.
Here is a before, like waaaaay before, before we moved in or painted. Ewww, that yellow hurts.


And here is the after. Thad still needs to put the filler in that gap above the fridge, but other than that, ta-da!

I stayed up late friday evening moving our food from closet to pantry, and then saturday evening moving the rest of the closets in the house around. I love organizing, it really makes me happy. Saturday we had a baby shower for my SIL Tenille. It was fun, and I ate too much, but who can resist chicken salad croissant sandwhiches and costco cake? Yum.
We have also been working on the primary activity day I have coming up at the end of the month. We are doing the armor of God, and guess who got roped into being the guest speaker Capt Moroni? Don't worry, Thad's really excited about it because he gets to wear a full suit of cardboard armor and fight some lamanites. Here is a sneak peak of what he and Andi have been working on.

Funny note about that picture, taken right before church. Andi thought she looked very Dorothy-esq with her braids and plaid dress and carried around a little toy dog in a basket purse all morning. She kept asking me to put apples in the purse and was really sad when she couldn't bring them to church.

Channeling the inner Martha

I really feel like I have been doing that lately. In January I made wedding invitations for one of my really good friends. I've posted the picture of Andi's magnet board already. And this week I've been painting all kinds of things. Like this vase(used to be purple) and glass pear(used to be clear) that now sit above my kitchen cabinets.


And these "paper lines" on Andi's wall. The letters are vinyl.


And these gift boxes for My SIL's baby shower this weekend.


I put a button on my blog over on the right side for a blog that is amazing. This lady does all kinds of refinishing and crafty projects that have given me all kinds of ideas for future projects, and a desire to hit up all the thrift stores in town for "things" to refinish. My list grows daily. You should really check it out. Again, Amazing.
Today has been a wonderful day for really no reason at all. I was taking pictures of my little crafty projects around the house and talking to Andi and I just had this overwhelming feeling of peace and gratitude. I feel so incredibly blessed today, and realize that I should feel that way more often, because it's true, I am. I spend my days with two stinkin cute kids who keep me on my toes and love to learn new things. I come up with all kinds of crazy projects for the house that I can never completely do on my own and Thad always jumps in to help, even if it's just getting his level and making sure the lines I am painting on Andi's wall are straight. I am just amazed at my life today and couldn't ask for anything else.

15-ish months

Today was Sammy's 15 month check up, almost a month late, and he finally got his 12 month shots. What?! It's been a crazy couple of months! Weighing in at 29 lbs 5 oz and 34 inches long he is in the 95% for height and 90% for weight, as always the noggin is in the 95% as well. As you can see he still will not sit up to drink his sippy's.


I think Andi had a harder time with his shots today than he did. I kept telling her to stay in her seat, but since she NEVER listens to me these days she was right at the Nurse's side while she was giving the shots. And Andi was screaming at her to stop poking Sammy with the needles and crying. Seriously, Sammy calmed down before she did.
Here's what I really don't get. She abuses him constantly. Yesterday for example he was running up behind her, so she stepped to the side so he could get by, and stuck out her foot so she could trip him on his way by, and it's not like he fell on carpet, we were outside going on a walk. She see's no problem with this and gets mad when I spank her and put her in time out. But the minute someone else hurts him she freaks. She's been super nice to him since we got home from the Dr's and keeps saying poor Sammy. If only I could get her to see the connection between shots, and her knocking him around, and get her to treat "poor Sammy" better.

Crafty

So I was feeling crafty this weekend, and looking for a solution to a problem. The Problem: Andi's "art" piling up on the fridge and being pulled down by Sammy so my kitchen floor is constantly covered in paper. Solution: Make a cute magnet board to hang in Andi's room. So we grabbed some fabric, ribbon, sheet metal & wood and a staple gun and ta-da! The shiny flowers you see on the board are the magnets, and I'm not sure who was more excited about the board, me or Andi.


And this is a great picture because we have been trying to capture this scowl on Sammy's face for a while now. He shoots this look at people often, usually when we say no, and it always makes me laugh, which he does not appreciate.

The Stealth Bunny

So Sammy has become INSANE the last few weeks. He's constantly climbing, or pulling things down, or taking things apart. He's like the energizer bunny, only stealth. He's so stinkin quiet that I think he hasn't moved from where I left him, when I turn around he's gone. His new favorite thing to do, that he does at least 5 times a day is this.


He climbs on the couch and pulls the back pillows off. I took this picture because I thought it was cute that he got this one cushion off, but then he proceeded to pull them off both couches and now, like I said it's a daily ritual. And he is always proud of himself for doing it.

This was annoying because after the fourth time that day I pulled him off the drawer I couldn't get it back in. He had busted the bottom out of the drawer and Thad had to put it back together.


And this I'm sure is going to result in having to get new blinds. Ugh, do they make baby gates for couches?
He's seriously crazy. He is not talking yet, but he has started making all kinds of weird noises. He also has started to recognize when we think he's being funny and will totally ham up whatever he is doing to get a laugh.
Andi spends almost her entire day asking me to write words for her to copy, or how to spell things, and drawing pictures. She fills the fridge with her letters and drawing every day. Once we got about 3 pages deep and the magnets wouldn't hold any more I started pulling some pictures off, but she just keeps making more, and they all have to go on the fridge. She can now spell her name, Mom, Dad, Sam, and love all on her own. She can recognize and read about 24 words now. All rhyming, mostly from the cat and the hat, which she can "read" from memory. She also "reads" Are you my mother, but the thing is she wants to read it to you, and then wants you to read it to her. Story time is becoming quite the ordeal every night. I've really got to get some work books and flash cards while she's still in to this.

More from Andi

This conversation took place towards the end of Babes in Toyland(newly discovered favorite) the other morning:
Andi:Mom, who is your favorite?
Me: What do you mean? My favorite what?
Andi: Your favorite on the movie?
Me: Oh, I like Mary.
Andi: Why?
Me: Because I like her pretty dresses.
Andi: I like Tom, because he's a boy.
Me: Oh really?
Andi: ya, girls like boys.
Me: yes they do.
Andi: and I like Tom

So apparently Andi's first crush is on this guy. Go Figure.


This happened a couple weeks ago, I just keep forgetting to post it. Both kids were in bed and we heard Andi scream at the top of her lungs. So we ran back to see what was wrong to find Andi hanging upside down over the bed rail hanging on for dear life. It was obvious she wasn't hurt, so Thad scooped her up, plopped her back in bed and swatted her behind and walked out. I went over to calm her down. . .
Andi: Mom, I was scared.
Me: I know.
Andi: Daddy just saved my life!
Me:(trying not to laugh) yes he did.
Andi: But he spanked me.
Me: yes, because you were playing and jumping in bed again instead of laying down nicely and going to sleep like you are supposed to.
Andi: ya, I was. And Daddy saved my life.
So the spanking was forgiven due to the life saving, and they are still friends.

Snow!

No, it did not snow in Bakersfield, but after last weeks 4 storms in a row, the mountains around us were pretty well covered in it. So Saturday morning we decided to drive up and go sledding. It only took an hour to find a decent amount of snow and a good hill. It was a fun little trip, and of course Andi keeps asking to go back to the snow.

Andi all bundled up and psyched to be in the snow.

Thad getting ready to take Sammy on his first sledding run.

Andi making snow angels.

Sammy's excited face. He was real impressed with the days adventure.

Andi and Thad built a snow man.

I took this picture out the car window on the drive home. Proof that just outside of town the valley is really beautiful.

Birthdays and more

Andi turned 4 last week, but since we had two parties(one family, one friend) she thought she had two birthdays, so naturally when Grandma Bulkeley asked her how old she was at the second party, she said five. And she keeps asking when her next birthday will be. Here are some pictures of her birthday fun. She had been begging for a princess tea party for a while, so I let her have a couple friends over and dress up as princesses.

The set up

Birthday princess waiting for her friends.

Princesses dancing in the kitchen.

Blowing out the candles on her heart shaped cake. They all had one.

With all the cousins at the family party.

Aside from birthdays it was a beautiful week weather wise, so we played outside a lot this week. The kids were in heaven, especially Sammy, who found much higher things to climb on.

As always, very proud of his accomplishment.

He even tried to help daddy with the yard work.

The beautiful weather did not last long, and we are on day 3 of rain, so we have been getting creative to keep everyone entertained. Thad made Andi this fort on the patio so she could play outside and stay dry. She was so excited about it. She got in and said, "okay, mommy, I need some books and a drink, and Daddy, I need a snack. " The fort was moved a little and a floor heater added so she could stay out there longer. She loved it.

Then this happened. I think it's a robot. I don't know who thought it was funnier, Thad or Sammy.

And this is where I found Sammy last night. He was so quiet it took me a while to actually find him.

Thad is gone for a few days again, this time in colorado, so mommy now has to come up with the crazy things to do. I'm sure the kids will be glad when Thad gets back to play.

Look what else I can do

Are you kidding me ?!?!?!?!

The Destructor & The Nemesis

Well, the new year has brought us new talents from the kids, Sammy mostly. For example he has mastered the skill of climbing. Climbing on to the couch, onto Andi's bed, onto the chairs in the kitchen, right up onto your head if you are sitting on the floor. We are still waiting for him to learn how to get back down without hurting himself, and crossing our fingers he doesn't break any bones in the meantime.

Here he is climbing the computer chair in the kitchen.

And feeling very proud of his accomplishment

And his attempt to get back down off Andi's bed.

He has also learned to love electronics. Remotes, buttons on the TV, I often find him wandering around the house "talking" on my phone. The weird part is that when he is babbling into it, he puts it right up on his forehead. I'm pretty sure I always put it up to my ear, so I'm not sure where he got the forehead thing.

He has learned to run very quickly, pull hair, throw a ball, and toilet papers the inside of my house on a daily basis. He loves to brush his teeth and every chance he gets sneaks into the bathroom to eat toothpaste, which wouldn't be so odd except that both kids use adult toothpaste. They were not interested in the sugary bubble gum stuff in the kids section. They like minty freshness. I do try very hard to keep the bathroom doors closed at all times to avoid the toothpaste eating and toilet papering, but that is where my nemesis Andi come into play. Always undoing what Mommy does, and waiting till my back is turned to take something from Sammy or play a little too roughly with him and run away. Sammy is learning to fight back though, with the aforementioned hair pulling. Andi has also decided that she is pretty tired of always having to wait for mommy to help her with things and has started doing things on her own If I tell her to hold on a second. Like this:The kids were outside playing when Sammy started trying to eat mud. So I took him inside to clean him up, and Andi thought that was a great moment to ask me to help her up into Sammy's swing. I told her she needed to wait till I had Sammy cleaned up. A few minutes later I hear her yelling for me outside, and I go out to find that she drug a chair off the patio and got herself buckled into Sammy's swing only to realize that she did still need me to push her. So I'm not totally useless yet.
She is learning to tie her shoes, and get's better at writing her numbers and letters everyday. She is very into words and asks me all day long "what letter makes this sound", "what does this word start with" and"do this and this rhyme". Dance started again yesterday and she was so excited to get back to class, although a few weeks off and she was "out of shape", for lack of a better phrase. She came home, ate dinner, took a bath, and asked to go to bed at 6:30. And she slept all night.
Destructor moment of the week: We had just returned from our Costco run and all the groceries were on the table. Andi asked for a drink and while I went to the fridge to get her some juice, Sammy walked over the the twin pack apple juice bottles and pulled them both off the table. One cracked wide open and about half the gallon shot all over the floor before I could get it picked up and tossed in the sink. The he splashed in it for the few seconds it took me to get rags. ugh. The good news is that my new H2O steam mop ultra proved itself. Normally apple juice takes like 3 moppings to really get all the sticky off, but this only took one. I love my new mop.

What a week . . . What a year!

I know I say this every year. . . we love the holidays, but phew! It's time to relax.
Our festivities started early this year when my sister Kelsie and her husband ("Uncle Camera" as Andi calls him) came in to town on the 19th. My parents got everyone Disneyland tickets for Christmas and we decided to go on the 22nd, but of course the weather wouldn't cooperate and the grapevine was closed. We found that out after we had woken Andi up "extra extra early" and had to tell her that we couldn't go that day. She was so sad and kept telling me that we could go a different way and she would show us how to get there. We hit up Rosemary's that night to try and make it up to the kids, and Thankfully the next morning the roads were open again.
We got Andi on a lot more rides this time. It's amazing what peer pressure can do.

Here are a few of us outside "the Beautiful Christmas Castle" Andi's words.


These two were so excited and did really well all day

Inside the animal cage of Casey Juniors Railroad


This is her nervous face, trying to be excited about splash mountain. I let her watch the big drop and told her it was like the water slide in Ashlynns pool. Total lie, but it got her on the ride.

And here is Andi after the big splash.
This is the only ride she freaked out on, and it came after the haunted house, and pirates, so she was about done with mommy's rides. We went to the pooh bear ride right after this ;)

I don't know how well you can see this, but look at the white tea cup in the center with the teal trim. That would be Thad and my two little brothers stretching before the ride began. They were serious about trying to set some sort of record for the number of rotations. Don't worry, afterwords none of them could walk straight and they were all complaining of headaches.

Andi and I made it to Pixie Hollow this time and she got to meet Tink and some other pixies. The weird part is when we got to the tinkerbell part there was this dude fairy with her. Andi was a little nervous about him and asked me who he was, I had no idea. We found out later that in the newest tinkerbell movie, she's got a boyfriend and his name starts with a T but I can't remember. So here is Andi with Tinkerbell and her boyfriend.


And this is us in line for It's a small world right after they lit it up. She was seriously that excited all day.

My siblings and my little family in line for Star Tours. Andi did not love that one either.

The next day was Christmas Eve and we had our traditional dinner and program at Thad's parent house. Andi, Sammy, and Paige were the only little ones around this year so it seemed kinda quiet. But Andi loved being able to drag in the Santa bag and listen to the Santa letter. Don't worry, we didn't take a single picture, and I haven't got the ones from anyone elses cameras yet either, but I did steal these from Tenille's blog.

The next morning we had to wake Andi up at 7:30. I know she was exited for Christmas, but it had been a long couple of days for her and what can I say, she enjoys her sleep. Sammy was actually the first one to the tree this year. This is him looking at is from the hallway.

And this is the happy face he makes when he's excited. If the face weren't awesome enough, there is a funny little noise that goes with it.

Andi with her new games, that we play everyday.

By the time we got to my parent's house for more tree and breakfast Andi had woken up, but was so busy running around with little Walter that we really didn't get many good pictures of them. Too busy enjoying herself. Sammy on the other hand was ready for a nap and though he really was enjoying his new Tonka truck from Kels and Cam this was about all the excitement he could muster for the camera.

Yes, he is riding in the back of the truck.
After naps we headed over to Thad's parents for a little while, then back home for another nap for Sammy and then back to my parent's for dinner.
The next day All of my moms family, and some of my dads came in to town for dinner and another tree session. There were so many of us though that we had to move the dinner to the church building because we couldn't all fit at my parent's house!
Sunday the kids were sporting their new Church outfits from Grandma.
Ignore Sammy's wild hair. After Church we had Thads family over at our house for dinner and Aunt Tenille gave Sammy his first hair cut.
It's funny how much a little trim made him look like such a big boy. I have to point out Sammy's sunday afternoon outfit, I love it. The new basketball shorts and the shirt you can't see is what we made all the boys in my family for Christmas. It's a Nerf Wars Shirt. Here is the back view.


Things to mention that do not have pictures. The Sunday before Christmas Bobby and I sang in Sacrament meeting. And the Friday before that Thad and I celebrated our 6th anniversary with dinner and some last minute Christmas shopping. Romantic, I know. I got a fabulous new sewing machine for Christmas along with the H2O Ultra stem mop. Don't laugh, I really wanted it, what can I say the infomercial totally sold me, and I love it! Thad and the boys have had 3 nerf war battles at the church building sporting their new shirts. And Sammy has been sick since monday. All the coming and going and people and chaos was too much for the poor little guy.
All in all it's been a fabulous couple of weeks, but we are exhausted! We are doing nothing this weekend, just because we can.