Embarrassing

Talmage for some reason calls the Savior "Jesus Christ." I know that is his name, but most kids see his picture and say "Jesus!" Not Talmage. He has to give the entire name. It strikes a funny chord in me every time he does it. I kind of cringe because it seems a little irreverent. But then I realize that he is 2 and just excited about seeing His picture.
Now for the embarrassing part. A couple of weeks ago Kendall took Talmage to the hardware store for some "male bonding" time. On their way into the store he saw a man with a long white beard who was smoking a cigarette. He looked up at Kendall and said "Daddy, Santa is smoking!" The guy heard him and immediately threw the cigarette down. Kendall later thanked him in the store and told him that he hoped he wasn't offended. The guy was really nice about it. He said that he was trying to quit because it really bothers him when kids see him smoking and think he is Santa. (I guess this wasn't the first time!)
Then on Monday we went to the library for FHE and we were sitting at a table looking at some books. A nice man who works there at the library with long-ish brown hair and a full beard started walking our way. Talmage got SO EXCITED, and jumping up and down yelled repeatedly "Jesus Christ" as he pointed at this man. He couldn't have picked a quieter place where more people would notice. So I had to sit him down and explain to him that not everyone with a white beard is Santa and not everyone with a brown beard is Jesus.

Cutting teeth

Mercedes FINALLY got teeth! I was beginning to think that she was born without any. But she finally cut two teeth on the bottom. They are very slowly coming in. She is staying true to the other kids and really hasn't been cranky or had a fever or anything. She's had a terrible runny nose, but the whole family has been ridiculously sick lately, so I figured it was from that. Anyway, congrats to Sadie for finally having the teeth and being able to step up in the food world!

A Week of Celebration

This is a busy time for us. It seems like we have one birthday right after another in the family. Valentine's Day was nice for us, but not the greatest since Kendall got really sick on Saturday and spent the majority of the day sleeping on the couch with a killer headache, terrible cough and fever and chills. He's doing quite a bit better, but still not 100% yet. Lucky for us, we went out on Friday night. A bunch of people in the ward volunteered to babysit and so we left all of the kids at the church and we went out shopping (I know, not exactly romantic) for a food processor, which is what I will be getting for a late birthday present. I woke up this morning to a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Today is my birthday, a whopping 26! My sister so kindly reminds me that I'm getting close to 30! It doesn't sound that old when other people are 30, but it does sound old for me to be that age. Luckily I still have a little bit. This morning as we were in the car driving I was telling Avri about my sister, Maria, who also has a birthday today. On my 11th birthday my mom had a little baby girl who died. I never got to see Maria, but I think about her every year on our birthday. She would be 15 this year. I was absolutely amazed as I was talking to Avri about it because she said "Yeah Mom, remember we went to that place and we put flowers by her grave so that she could have pretty flowers." I was blown away that she would remember from back in May the time that we visited her grave up in Michigan. I hadn't been there in about 10 years or so, but Avri "remembers" her Aunt Maria. Makes me wonder if they were good friends before Avri came to be a part of our little family.

Warning!

Warning: The following post contains nudity. Beware. (I couldn't resist. Anytime you get 3 cute little naked bodies into the same bathtub you have to get pictures!! How else will I embarrass them when they get older?)
After bath time we decided to try rag curls on Avri. Here she is all curled up in rags. She only complained once about it hurting her head when she laid down. I think she was able to find a comfortable position though.

Have you ever wondered...

what Avri would look like with a Shirley Temple fro? For those of you who have ever wondered, here it is!

Camping like Daddy

Kendall has been on a few campouts lately, even though it has been freezing! So the kids have been wanting to go camping too. Kendall and I have decided that we want to camp as a family quite a bit this summer, so we thought we'd start breaking the kids in on the tent. We got it out again for the kids to sleep in. They just think it is so much fun!!
Even Grandpa got in on the action! (It's amazing how small the bedroom seems when you set up a tent in there!)He's such a good sport!

Break in attempt

We had a little intruder try to break into our house yesterday. His name is Marvin and he is the kids' pet squirrel. We have been leaving sunflower seeds out on the porch for him and he comes to visit every day at almost the same exact time - while the kids are eating lunch. He doesn't seem to nervous about them, even when they stand and bang on the glass door. He sits really close. Well, I ran out of seeds and so when he came looking he could only find empty shells. So he actually climbed up the board around the outside door frame to the handle and was trying to figure out how to open the door!! I couldn't believe it!! Since he seemed so desperate for food I put a piece of bread out there for him and he sat there and ate the entire thing!! Funny little Marvin.

What is this?

Talmage is going through an inquisitive phase (which I'm afraid will probably last for many years). He walks around the house all day asking "What's this?" and "What is this for Mommy?" It's kind of cute for the first 100 or so questions, then it gets tedious. Well a couple of night ago Kendall started asking him the questions. The conversation went like this.

Kendall: What's this Talmage? (pointing to his eyes)
Talmage: Eyes
K: What's this Talmage? (pointing to his ears)
T: Ears
K: What's this Talmage? (pointing to his eyebrows)
T: Eyebrows
(this continues for a couple of minutes)
K: What's this? (pointing to his forehead)
T: Bruise
Melissa: uproarious laughter!!
(Talmage has been a total klutz lately, and so this was an extremely fitting response!)

My little tumbler

Avri has had her tumbling class now for 2 weeks and she is doing awesome!! The first week she was still kind of learning the whole sit and listen to the teacher bit and figuring out how to follow directions. But by the second week she was doing so great!! I couldn't be more proud of my little girl who is growing up way too fast. (Speaking of growing up, she informed me this week that she doesn't call me Mommy anymore, she calls me Mom! How sad!!)

An old, new, old item

Out with the old,And in with the new.It's been a few weeks now, but we finally got a dishwasher! Things have been a bit crazy and I just keep forgetting to write about it, but it has been a heaven-sent! My dishes stay washed and my kitchen is manageable. It is lovely! Here's the old-new-old part. I've had it for a few weeks (hence, old news), but it is new to us, but we got it from my parents who just bought a new one, so it really isn't a new dishwasher.

Oh where or where has my sweet baby gone?

As you all know, I adore Mercedes. She is sweet and happy and totally innocent...until yesterday. She started throwing temper tantrums!! Her first one was at church with all the other moms around watching. Lovely. Then last night Mom made a big mistake and forgot her binky at Grandma's house. She threw a huge fit at bedtime because she didn't have it, and then she woke up at 3:00 am and screamed at Kendall and I for about an hour and a half!! Daddy was so patient with her. He would talk to her in this very gentle voice and she would stop, then it was like she would arch her back and scream at him!! She is a total red-head! It sure made Kendall and I think though, and maybe it is time to wean from the binky if she's going to be that much of a stinker. So here is the part where I ask for advice. I've always weaned my others because I had a new baby coming and I didn't want to figure out whose was whose. So my question is this: at what age or circumstances did you wean your kids from pacifiers and was it easier when they were younger or older? I don't want a 3-yr old sucking on a pacifier, but if it is easier when they are a little older then I'm all about easy. Any advice? I want to hear your stories.(This is one of my new favorite pictures. I smile every time I see it because she is so mischievous looking, and it is totally her!!)