Daddy / Daughter (and Son) Weekend

Lauralee traveled to St. George today to say hello to new nephew Owen....Quinn stayed home to watch the Utes bowl game.

And watch the kids, of course. I can't believe it took me a new paragraph to remember that. Take care of the kids, yes.

It's been an eventful day already. I've been keeping a video journal like in Man vs. Wild. It's kind of felt like it too, except I haven't had to eat any insects yet.

Highlights of the day (besides the thrilling Utah overtime Sun Bowl victory):

Emma has had a problem lately with taking any piece of furniture that she can handle, toppling it over and using it for whatever non-intended (often dangerous) use she can. For example, leaning a banana chair upside down against the couch and sliding down it like a slide, or turning the glider rocker footstool upside down and trying to balance on it -- because balancing on it right side up is not dangerous enough. Anyway, today I took a stand and told her that any furniture she knocks over will result in a fine, payable by her piggy bank, for me to turn the furniture rightside up again. Today I collected 3 times.

Emma decided to "wash the TV" and poured a large amount of water on the TV screen, which dripped down into the TV's rusty innards and fried it. Technically the screen still works, but it mashes the entire picture into a 1 centimeter tall rectangle stretching across the screen. Several ants have pulled up in little tiny ant cars; they mistook the TV for a drive-in theater.

(Editor's note: Thankfully the ruined TV was a clunker used only for Playstation games and kiddie videos. Also, we do not actually have an ant problem.)

After a lengthy discussion on electrocution, Emma apologized for ruining the TV. She said "I hope the TV workers have more TVs so we can get a new one." Still not impressed that she was appropriately racked with guilt, I said, "Do you have enough money to buy a new TV since you poured water on the old one?" Without missing a beat she said, "I don't have enough, Dad, because you took money out of my piggy bank three times today. That's why I don't have enough."

Later in the day, we were all playing in James' room. Emma looked out the window and noticed some trash in our backyard.

(Editor's note: No matter which direction the wind is blowing, we always end up with garbage from our neighbors in our yard.)

Emma: "Dad, there's a piece of garbage in our yard!"
Me: "I know sweetie, I wish our neighbors' garbage would stop blowing into our yard."
Emma: "Well maybe that's something I can pray about."
Me: "Well, okay, if you want to bu..."
Emma (already kneeling with arms folded): "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless that our neighbors' garbage will stop blowing into our yard .... (peaking up to see if I am listening) ... in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

I took both kids to McDonald's for dinner. James refused to drink his chocolate milk if I was touching the carton in any way. However, if I let go of the carton, he would tilt it back -- despite the fact that it had a straw -- until it would spill out the top. After Emma kept trying to run off to the Playland, I told them we weren't going to play in Playland, we were going straight home. Emma immediately grabbed the closest food she could find -- it happened to be a handful of french fries -- and said, "Dad you can't take us home yet I'm still eating!" When I gave her a skeptical look, she grabbed some more food and, even though she was CLEARLY not enjoying it, put it in her mouth and robotically chewed. Who would budge first? Would I rescind my Playland ban? Or would she finally admit that she was only eating to prevent us from going home? I stared at her, she stared at me, methodically chewing. And you know what? I did let them play at Playland, because 1) Emma, for the first time in her life, finished all her chicken nuggets, 2) I just had to reward a performance like that and 3) I didn't have anything more fun for them to do at home.

There was another little girl at the Playland -- Emma attached herself to her immediately and I overheard this conversation as they were climbing together:
Little Girl: "What's your name?"
Emma: "Emma Mary Lavender"
(Editor's note: Emma's pronunciation is not yet stellar. Also we have been practicing her full name and home town in case she ever gets lost. I was not until this evening aware that she might be sharing this information with perfect strangers.)
Little Girl: "What?"



Emma: "Emma Mary Lavender"
Little Girl: "What?"
Emma: "Emma Mary Lavender"
Little Girl: "Baby Wawawa?
Me (yelling): "Just tell her it's EMMA!!!"

Finally, as I read books to the kids tonight, James kept reaching over and bugging Emma while they sat on my lap. I realized that James was pulling Emma's thumb out of her mouth every time she'd stick it in. Yep, he can't say more than 5 words, but he's taken it upon himself to enforce our "no thumbs" policy on his sister. I can't wait to see how this turns out...

Happy New Year,
Emma "TV Killer" Lavender
James "No Thumbs on My Watch" Lavender
Quinn "Wait Until Your Mother Gets Home" Lavender

The Nativity...by Preschoolers

Here's the video of the nativity re-enactment that Emma and friends did for preschool. Emma is the nose-picking shepherd that appears about halfway through. It's a little known fact that Bethlehem shepherds often had sinus issues. Emma is method actor.

Emma's letter to Santa

Emma wrote a letter to Santa the day before we saw him. She was going to give it to him because she didn't want to talk to him. Well we forgot to take it with us and she didn't need it after all because he had candy canes. I will add that she did not mention anything that was on this list to him but she has been asking for a dog that moves for a couple of months now.

I have been able to hold her off for now by telling her she can have one when she is older and can take care of it. I don't how much longer that will work though.

Joy School Christmas Party

Well we had another great Family Home Evening it was the Joy School Christmas Party. It was a bit crowded with five families in one house and the kids were off the wall and very excited but we had a great night.

Here they are running around screaming and laughing together.

Next they performed the Nativity which we had been practicing for the last couple weeks in school. The girls had so much fun doing this and they all had to have a turn being each role. I was a bit surprised that Joseph was fought over just as much as Mary.
For the night of our show Emma chose to be a Shepard with her friend Brooke.

Isn't she the cutest Shepard. They also sang three songs that they learned. They all did so well and Emma even did it. She gets very shy and clingy when she has to perform but this time she did it (she refused to perform that morning at our practice.)

Then we had to play a game while we waited for a special visitor.

Santa!

Emma was not sure she wanted to sit on his lap but when she saw he was handing out candy canes to the other kids that sealed the deal.

I couldn't hear exactly what she asked for but I heard the word Princess a lot.

So cute.

James did not want to sit even for a candy cane.

What mean parents.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is Here!

I love December for obvious reasons but also for the fact that it is really easy to come up with an idea for Family Home Evening. The past two Mondays we decorated our tree and a gingerbread house. Now every day I look to see how many ornaments have been moved and rearranged and how many candys are missing from the roof of the gingerbread house. So much fun. The kids are really excited. One morning Emma got up came downstairs and was really disappointed that her stocking was empty. It is so hard to wait when you are a kid.

I love James' little hands as he works very hard to put an ornament on the tree.

Such concentration.

Emma moved each of her ornaments many times looking for just the perfect spot.

I love gingerbread kits (otherwise we would not be decorating one).

Emma got a little bored waiting for me to put the frosting on so she became a robot out of our takeout sack.

Emma probably ate 1/4 of the candy before it even got on the house.

The finished product!

Emma's four year old pictures

Wow I am amazed we got some good shots of my beautiful girl. It took me 40 minutes to talk her into going into the room and standing by herself so the lady could take the pictures. I am not joking. The promise of a treat or ice cream or even McDonald's (her favorite) did not work. Nor did the guilt trip of how sad Dad and the Grandma's would be without a new picture. Finally we walked over to the toy bin and I let her pick out two toys and said you can have these if you get your picture taken. That didn't work either. Finally I said okay we are leaving lets go put your toys back and go home. That's what did it. Her having to leave without her toy that she had been holding for the last 10 min. Wow! My kids are sooooo stubborn. Once we were done I had a hard time picking because they were all so cute.

So here is our big 4 year old girl.

Emma's birthday part 3

Wow, part 3 of a birthday, talk about spoiled. So on Emma's actual birthday Quinn left work early to take us to Boondocks. We have had a gift card floating around the house for several years now and finally decided that Emma's birthday was a good time to use it. The kids had a blast playing mini golf and actually lasted through 14 of the short 18 holes. It was really funny to watch Emma try the do it right the first couple of tries and then get tired and just pick up her ball and set it by the hole and hit it in. James was no dummy either he did the same thing. Quinn and I had fun hitting around the kids and they became the obstacle course.

Next we headed inside to the game and playland area. The kids ran and around until they were good and tired. Quinn won lots of tickets and got the kids each a toy. I think Emma had a great birthday.

We have scarred him for life. This thing is barely moving.

Save me Mommy!

Painting on her new easel. It's an elephant if you can't tell!

Emma's Birthday part 2

Birthday celebrations with the Van Bibbers. Emma was very excited to open more presents and of course got spoiled.

Just chillin wishing it was his birthday.

Taylor, Brock, Anne, Grandma and Grandpa

A cute skirt from Grandma.

A fun easel to create master pieces on.

Emma is drawing an egg and then turns it into an octopus. I have many of these on my fridge.

This why she got a cute octopus card from Mom and Dad.

Her first video game to play with Dad.

Dress ups!

Birthday cupcakes.

All dressed up in some of her new things.