Cherish Every Moment

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Brotherly Love

These pictures are priceless! Thank you so much for sharing them. Aldine

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

We moved into our house on Barzona Traill on October 9, 2004. Everything happened so fast!

At the beginning of September Tyler, Abby, and I had gone to walk around the mall. We saw a realty booth and stopped to get some information. We lived in an apartment in Mesa at the time but knew with twins coming it was only a matter of time before we had to move. We knew it was a good time to buy and a realtor agreed to take us out that weekend. I DID NOT want to move to Queen Creek. It was WAY too far away from my grandma's and cousins. But sure enough that is where the realtor took us. He said the best prices on new homes were either in Queen Creek (or actually unincorporated Pinal County) or on the other side of Phoenix and Tyler really wanted a new home instead of investing in a home that would need repairs. We looked at several different homes in the area and found one we liked in Circle Cross Ranch. But here was the catch. Homes were going so quickly then that the realtor said if we wanted the house we had to get it RIGHT THEN! We said NO WAY!! This was our first experience ever going house hunting and we didn't want to buy the first (or 4th) house we saw. We went home and thought and talked about it and about 3 hours later we had changed our minds and thought why not? However, like the realtor had said, when we called on the house it was already taken.

We went out house hunting again that Monday (I remember it was Labor Day; I want to say September 6th). After looking at a few homes the realtor again took us to one in Circle Cross Ranch (guess it was meant to be!). It was two stories, 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a big loft upstairs to play in, a huge backyard and it was right down the street from a tot lot. Oh the pressure!!! If we wanted it we knew we had to act right then. Did we like it that much? I never really had a "this is the house for us" moment but it was everything we needed/wanted and Tyler was very excited about it. So we signed the initial papers that day and signed on the house at the end of the month. CRAZY!!

These pictures were taken September 11, 2004 when we came out to visit our new house. Ü

It's so bare looking!!

The home was a spec home so carpet, counters, cupboards, etc were already chosen. The only thing we had to do was pick out our appliances and decide on the landscaping in the front yard

Abby playing under the stairs

I thought this downstairs bathroom looked so fancy Ü

I loved how you could just barely see the tot lot from the upstairs loft window. It was fun knowing it was that close. Then they finished building that house and you can't see it anymore.

Our backyard still looks this way. We've added a swing set and a few toys but still no landscaping. Maybe one day...

Playing at the purple park for the first time

Now we've been here 5 years. In that 5 years we have gone through 4 ward realignments and have been in 4 stakes (I think?). Two weeks after we moved in President Eyring visited for our 1st stake split. He not only said the Queen Creek, AZ was the fastest growing area in the church but he also said something to the efftect that this area would be hit hard with trials and that some would be equal to what the pioneers went through. Nice. I pretty much wanted to move back to where we came from then.

It's taken awhile to fit in. When we first moved here Andy and Alex were a few days shy of being a month old. (Sidenote - the next morning after these pictures I posted were taken the twins were born!!) I didn't know anyone and wasn't able to go out and meet many people with 3 tiny kids. Tyler was working full time plus going to school and then add the 40+ mile commute one way to that and we didn't see him very much. I was one overwhelmed mommy!! Then we were split out of the ward from most of the people in the community and then split back into the ward where there were so many new families who moved in.

Now we're old timers and thanks to being in two different primary presidencies and being involved in the PTO at the kids school I've gotten to meet lots of families. I've got my park group of girls who meet on Thursdays and who I love hanging out with. We do playdates and swap babysitting. I feel like I finally have friends. YAY!! The area has really built up out here with shopping close by and more roads going in and out so we aren't so far away from civilization anymore. And now with my kids in school just down the street and my parents so close by this is finally HOME.

And I don't want to leave!

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Great memories!

Have a great day! Aldine Allen

Monday, November 2, 2009

Upside Stroller and the Many Faces of Abby

Novemnber 2003

There's more than one way too sit in a stroller

Don't Smile Abby

A little happier

There's our happy girl

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Picture of the Day

I've decided I want to start doing a "picture of the day" post where I go through and pick a random picture and post about it. We have our pictures rolling through on our computer for a screen saver and often I'll look over and see a picture from a few years ago and think "I wish I could blog about that picture." Well, why can't I? Since I'm awful at keeping a journal then this will be my way of journaling about things that have happened in the past. And seriously by the time you download the pictures, edit the pictures, do your blog, get all of your pictures in the right order...it takes forever!! So in the meantime, while I work on all my Halloween pictures little by little, I can do a short post every day, or almost every day, and erase all the guilt I'm feeling about not blogging. So here's my first picture of the day (picked totally randomly - I closed my eyes, clicked on a folder, scrolled down, pointed, then opened my eyes Ü)!!!

Ok, not the best picture but at least you get to see their Christmas outfits from that year. This was taken in 2005. Andy and Alex are the exact same age Ben is now - 14 months. Infact Ben wore the red plaid shirt with the red vest outfit that Andy is wearing to church just a few weeks ago (but we had to squeeze him into the red plaid shirt; that outfit will be a one time wear for him). Abby would have been about 3 1/2. I love her Christmas dress. Actually I've loved all her Christmas dresses. Christmas dresses are the best kinds of dresses!!

After I picked that Christmas outfit picture I looked right above it and there was this cute picture so I had to post it too. It was taken Thanksgiving day 2005 on the swing at my Grandma Hall's house. Cute family picture!!

Friday, October 16, 2009

A Peek into Halloweens Past

2002

Our nieghbors up at BYU, Steve and Tara Cook, came over to help us carve pumpkins

Spooky!

This is an awful picture but the only one I took with the digital camera that year. We still used our regular camera to take most of our pictures back then. How silly were we. Ü Abby wore a little spider costume. Looking back I wonder why I didn't dress her in something alittle more girly but at the time I thought this outfit was cute; especially the little feet (which you can't see Ü). She was 4 months old.

2003

Again this is the only picture I took of her on the digital camera. This year little Piglet and I went up and saw Daddy at work and then went to a special Halloween storytime at the library with Abby's cousin Nellie.

2004

Hanging out at our ward party at Schnepf Farms

(they were a month and a half old)

2005

Daddy handles the pumpkin carving every year. I take the pictures.

Where's Wally giving Cinderella her shoes

Yee-Haw

Andy was the red M&M

Alex was the blue one

2006

Abby couldn't decide what to be this year. First she was a butterfly when we went Trick or Treating to Grandma Hall's house (a few days before Halloween)...

...then for her party at preschool she was a 50's girl...

...and for Halloween night she was Sleeping Beauty. Here she is with Kaitlyn Millar. We went to their ward's Trunk or Treat that year.

This video was taken earlier in the month as they were going to Gracie Green's costume birthday party. I just love hearing their little voices! Ü

2007

Yikes! Who's this guy?!?

2008

cute Trick or Treat bags from Grandma

(we're going to use these again this year!)

Ben was 2 months old

(Looking back, Halloween night 2008 was when we first noticed Abby having trouble with her legs. She just couldn't keep up with us that night and fell about 4 times.)

And here is a little sneaky peek into this year's Halloween

Tee-HeeÜ

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The pictures are adorable! What a great idea to post Halloween throuth the years. I love you! I wish I could be there when they go trick-or-treating. That is always such fun. I am helping Hannah with her costume. She is going to be a bathing beauty. She will wear a shower cap, a bathrobe, slippers, and wear nylons with lots of black string sticking out from them (to represent hairy legs. We will also make her a banner to wear saying "bathing beauty". I am not sure what the other kids are going to be.

Have a Great Day!

Aldine Allen

What They've Said...

1-1-17 The twins are getting their braces on in 2 days and they are NOT excited. On the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house for New Years dinner Andy says, "I really hope the 2nd coming happens tomorrow." Ü
4-24-16 ~ Going along with the lemon bars...Andy said, "If they taste half as good as the batter they...won't be very good." Ha! They were actually quite yummy. Ü
4-24-16 ~ Andy was making lemon bars and dropped an egg on the floor. Tanner walked in and said, "Are we making dinner on the floor tonight?"
12-15 Alex said to Abby, "Abby, someone called you an old lady yesterday." Abby said, "Well they're just a big fat meany face.' Then Alex said to Andy, :Andy, Abby just called you a big fat meany face. "
12-15 I was going through a box and found 2 envelopes full of temple name cards with family history work Tyler and I had been able to help with over the years. One envelope had sealing cards in it; including the sealing of my Grandma Marge to her parants and to my Grandpa Claude as well as other special names. I said, "Oh Tanner, look at all of these sealings!" Tanner looked up at my bedroom ceiling very confused. Ü
Earlier in 2015 ~ Tyler came home and got Alex with this joke...Tyler ~ "Someone called you an owl today!' Alex ~ "Who?!?!" Well, Tanner made up his own version....Tanner ~ "Someone called you a face today." Tyler ~ "Who?" Tanner ~ "No Daddy! You're supposed to say eye-bulb!" Ü
Earlier in 2015 ~ We were talking to the kids about maybe going to an improv comdey show with our Pogo Pass. The kids were asking what improv was and Tyler explained how the audience could yell out a word and the comedians would have to do a who skit or song about it. Alex said, "Oh, so if someone called out the word elephant you could sing a song like this...'I'm standing here with an elephant, and elephant, an ele-SQUISH!' " Ü
12-15 ~ We were at WalMart. Tanner was being a stinker and I kept having to get after him. One time he sighed and said, "Mom, you're impossible."
12-13-15 ~ We were having a hair styling session with Andy and his too long in my opinion hair. He had brought the gel down in case we wanted to use it. Tanner was having fun getting his comb wet and styling his hair too. But he did say, "But Mommy, I don't want any jello in my hair." Ü
12-8-15 ~ Tanner had mysteriously got some bubble gum on his bad sheet. Grandma Pam helped us get it out. I showed Tanner and said, "Wow! Grandma's like magic! She made the gum disppear. Grandma can do anything!" Ben added, "Except do a flip." Ü
6-22-15 Andy and Alex were going in for some placement testing. Tanner was sad and wanted to come with us instead of stay home with Abby. Andy said, "Tanner, you can't come because you need to be quiet and being quiet isn't really your thing." Tanner yelled at the top of his lungs, "Yes, I quiet!!"
April 2015 "Mommy, will you marry me the next time I grow up and be a gilr?" ~ Tanner
1-15 I got home one afternoon and asked Tanner what time he got up from his nap. He said, "Oh, about forty o'clock." Ü
This happened awhile ago but I was reminded up of it recently. We were trying to get Alex to eat some salad. When he asked how much he had to eat for some reason I think I said, "Your salad has to be as big as your face." This led to hm actually laying down and putting salad on his face to see how much he had to eat. Later on he said, "Can I be done...I've eated half of my face??" Ü
8-6-14 Here's something I never thought I'd hear me say..."Tanner, will you please stop licking the calculator!"
7-15-14 Ben's Prayer EVERY Night...5 1/2 years old..."Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day. Thank you for our blessings. Please bless that no snakes will come and bite me. Please bless that no scorpions will come and sting me. Please bless that no wolves will come and eat me. Please bless that I will have no bad dreams and that nothing bad will happen to me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
June 2014 ~ We were reading the story of Abraham in Genesis where he is promised that his seed would be "numbered as the sand which is on the seashore." Andy questionally said, "Sandwiches on the seashore?!?" We all got a good laugh. Ü
June 2014 ~ The kids have fun going through our past blog books and reading all the funny things they said. The other day Alex said, "Do I say anything funny anymore??" Yes...you guys do!! I just need to be better at recording them! Like tonight I told Tanner, "You are a crazy monkey!" He so sweetly said, "Thank you mommy!" Ü I even said a funny one the other day. Abby got her pictures back from Camp Cruz. She was going through them and said, "Aw, I chopped off his head in this one." I said, "Don't worry. Grandma Hall used to chop people's heads off all the time." Ü
12-13 I asked Ben what gifts the Wise Men brought to baby Jesus. He said, "Gold, frankenstein, and myrrh." Ü
8-2013 Tanner can now say Ay-yi-yi!
8-26-13 I took out the CD that had been playing in the car and put in a Barney CD saying that it was time for some Tanner music. The big kids whined and complained. Before the 1st song was over one of the boys asked me to turn the music up and before long everybody was singing along!!
8-2013 Ben has been an angry little boy lately. I'm always asking his to say things in his calm and happy voice instead of his angry voice. The other day he said, "Why do I always have to say things in my happy voice?" I said, "Because it's more fun to be happy then grumply." He then screamed at me, "Well grumpy is just who I am!"
8-3-13 Andy: "Every time I go outside for more than two hours, I get so sweaty, Abby always asks me if I dumped water on my head." Abby: "I've never said that to you in your life." Andy: "Yes you have. One time you even tasted my sweat to see if it was water." Lovely...
4-7-13 President Eyring was conducting General Conference this morning. I asked the kids, "Who is that?" Alex blurted out, "Albert Einstein!!"
An Easter Funny ~ In the scriptures it talks about how Jesus told his disciples that one of them was going to betray him. He tells John in John 13:26 "He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it." We were talking about Judas...about why he would have betrayed the Savior and how he must have felt. Abby said, "Well, I think he must have been really upset when Jesus gave him that sock!"
3-26-13 Tonight Abby said, "I'm having love trouble." Then she looked at me and said, "Yes, I'm at that point in my life." Oh boy!!
3-17-13 "What are we having for dinner tonight? Hot cross buns?" (Ben)
3-17-13 Mom, I am so sorry but I have bad news. Paws is outside on Sunday!!" (Ben)
3-4-13 Ben has been brining some beginner reading books from preschool. Grandma asked him if any of the other kids have brought home books and he said, "No. I guess they all can read and I can't." His teacher assured me that it is the other way around. Ü
3-13 This happened last summer but I never recorded it...We have fun participating in the summer reading program every summer. At the end of the program the kids get to choose a free book. Last summer Ben chose the book Russell the Sheep. He was excited when it came in the mail but a little disappointed after we read through it the first time. He said, "But mom, when do the sheep wrestle?'
2-24-13 We were talking about some of the past presidents of the United States. Andy said, "I can't believe that people voted Obama for president again." I explained that there were a lot of people who didn't like Obama but alot who did. He said, "Don't they know he's going to destroy us!!" I asked where he heard that. He said, "Everyone is talking about it! He owes the Africans like $170 and if he doesn't pay them back they're going to come get us." Apparently thats a hot topic in third grade.
2-22-13 Ben was playing a math game on Starfall.com. The question was 10 + ? = 40. It gave a couple choices to click on and Ben immediately clicked on the answer 30. I said, "How in the world did you know that?!?!" He said, "Because I'm amazing!"
2-21-13 We were walking home from Andy and Alex's soccer practice. It was around dinner time and someone was cooking something yummy. I said, "Something sure smells good!! Ben said, "I think its the moon."
1-10-13 Ben really needs a haircut. I had to toally get his hair wet and smooth it down in places before he went to preschool today. He looked at me and said, "Mom...you made my hair look like worms."
1-8-13 Abby told me, "Mom if there was a game called 'Find the Goof Inside You', you'd win it." Ü
Several weeks ago Alex began a conversations..."when I grow up and build my own Disneyland..."
1-7-13 This morning at breakfast Ben said, "I usually bite the people's heads off first before I eat their bodies." He was talking about his vitamins. Ü
1-5-13 We had hamburgers for lunch on Friday. I had some bacon we needed to use so I decided to cook that up to use on them. Ben saw me cooking them and said, "I thought we were having hamburgers not pig!"
1-1-13 Tyler's reaction to the Italian Creme Cake he bought from WalMart... "The first bite was like 'Yum!', the second bite was like 'Mmmm', the 3rd bite was like 'huh', the 4th bite was like 'eh', the 5th bite was like 'uh', and by the 6th bite you're like 'ok, I'm done.'
4-12 Ben has said some good ones lately. We are at Grandma's house for Easter dinner and she made this brownie concoction. She made half with nuts and half with nuts. She went around asking the kids what they wanted and most of them said, "No nuts!". When she got to Ben he said, "I'll have yeah nuts." The other night we had b-b-q beef sandwhiches. Ben said, "I don't like b-b-q beef." I said, "Well, tough toodles." He paused and said, "I don't like those either." Last night Ben was sitting on one of our big pillows looking a a book. I wanted to put the pillow back on our couch and asked him to get off. He said, "I can't. I'm sitting on my tuffet." Ü
3-4-12 Alex was eating a green fun dip with his finger so of course his finger was completely green. Tyler asked the kids if they knew what a green thumb was. Andy said, "yeah, it means you can plant anything." Alex said, "Yeah, even pizza if you wanted."
2-12 The kids were talking on the way to school. Ean Harmon asked, "Have you ever face planted while hiking?" Alex said, "What?" Andy said, "He said 'Have you ever face painted a wild monkey.'"
2-12 We were talking about Heavenly Father and how he is a King and we are his children. I told Ben, "So since Heavenly Father is a King you are a Prince!" He said, "No I'm not. I'm Batman."
2-5-12 Superbowl Sunday. I was asleep for half the game and then after halft time Tyler left for stake choir. I asked the boys who we were cheering for and Andy said, "The New York Giants." I asked why and he said, "Because that's who Daddy said to cheer for." Alex added, "Yeah, cause they're from America."
1-12 Ben thinks that Brother Firmwalt is President Uchtodorf.
1-15-12 Andy came down about an hour after snack wanting another snack. I said, "You already had a snack - a hostess cupcake remember?" He said, "That wasn't a snack. That was just a snackish snack."
1-15-12 Tyler ~ "Kipper snacks and chocolate milk go together yuckily. Yuckily. I like that word. We should start using it in social situations. Then when other people start saying it we can say 'We made that word up!'"
1-1-12 I said, "Now I have 1 beautiful daughter and 4 sweet boys." Andy said, "No, we have 5 sweet boys!" He was including Daddy. I said, "4 sweet boys and (turning to Tyler) 1 hot hunk of a man." Andy said, "One what?" Alex said, "She said one hot chunk of a man."
12-23-11 We were at a friend's hosue tonight for a Christmas goodie party. Abby said something funny - maybe a little embarassing - I don't even remember what it was. The best was that she immediately turned to me and said, "Don't put that on the blog!!"
12-3-11 We were waiting in line to see Santa at our ward Christmas party. Ben said, "I'm on Santa's nice list." Andy, being stinky, said, "No, you're on the naughty list." Ben very sadly said, "No, I'm on the nice list." Again, Andy said, "You're on the naughty list." Ben then slugged Andy and very loudly and not very nicely said, "I'm on the nice list!!"
11-11-11 Abby was eating taco nachos for lunch when she made a funny face and rubbed her throat. She said, “I think I scratched my asparagus." Pretty sure she meant esophagus!
10-30-11 Andy came and asked me, "Mom, can I put on a red shirt. We're putting on a play of the Groucy Ladybug." And they did!!
10-21-11 i took a picture of Andy and Alex and their friend Liam with a lego car they built. When Alex saw the picture he said, "Is that what I really look like??"
8-11 We were leaving grandma's house and we had both our cars there. Andy and Alex were riding home with Tyler and Abby and Ben were coming with me. Ben wanted to ride in Daddy's car but I told him no; just the boys were riding. Ben looked at me all sad and confused and said, "But I'm a boy!!" Guess we need to stop calling Andy and Alex "the boys".
8-28-11 I asked Alex what he learned in church today. He said they played a game. I asked what game. He said, "Spin the Bottle." That's not the answer I was expecting!!
8-28-11 The kids were begging to have pancakes for dinner. Tyler said, "What about chicken and rice?? You guys love chicken and rice." Alex said, "I have a crush on chicken and rice. I LOVE pancakes!!"
8-11 Ben thinks the baby should be named Nose.
8-18-11 I asked Ben, "Should the baby sleep in here with you in the crib?" He said, "Hmm, that's a good question. Let me think." He tapped his cheek a few times and then said, "Ok, I guess."
6-11 I said, "Ben you are so handsome." He said, "I not handsome." I said, "You aren't?" Ben said, "I don't have my church clothes on."
5-11 Abby's end of the year fill in the blank ~ Is it better to have the power of invisibility or be able to fly? ~ "It is better to be invisible because then you can steal food in the night."
5-11 Alex ~ "I wish I was the boss of the dinosaur museum because the boss of the dinosaur museum gets the most money."
5-11 In an end of the year paper Alex filled in this blank ~ Next year I hope to..."learn to box."
Ben looked at the clock and said, "5-2-9 Holy Cow!!"
3-27-11 Alex said, Fish food looks like raisin bran but it tastes a little different."
3/11 This has happened a few times. After we put Ben down for the night he will start crying pretty hard. One of us will go in and say, "Ben why are you crying." He says through his sobs, "I don't know!" We say, "Well, it's time to go to sleep." He'll say, "Oh, ok" and be completely fine after that.
2/11 ~ Andy and Alex had this conversation after school. Alex ~ "Abby told me if I wore this shirt I'd be attractive and girls would like me but they didn't." Andy ~ "Alex, I think you're attractive! You're really handsome!" Pause... Andy ~ "I attract Haley."
1-15 Abby was telling us how she eats Puffy Cheetos. "First I lick all of the powder off. Then I get a little spit in there to make it all soft and gooey. So Good! Don't you eat it that way?"
12-25 Abby bought Andy a little football from the Santa Store at school. It was very obvious that it was a football and I'm pretty sure Abby even told Andy what it was prior to Christmas morning. So when Andy opened it he kind of just chucked it to the side. Abby said, "Hello! Where is the 'thank you' and the 'wow'?
12-10 Andy asked, "Mom, are you sure you and Dad don't eat all the cookies? It seems like Santa would be full after eating cookies at every house in the world!"
11-30-10 I told Ben to eat his dinner. He said, "Eat my dinner - no way!"
11-30-10 Alex had some fun things to say tonight at dinner. I was shaking up the orange juice before pouring it when he said, "Wouldn't that make the orange juice's tummy upset? If you shake a person like that it would make their tummy upset." Later he asked her Italian dressing for his salad. Tyler passed it to him and being goofy said something in an "Italian" accent. Alex asked, "Are you from the state of Italian?" As we were cleaning up dinner Alex accidently kncoked over Ben's cup of juice. As he was wiping it up he got interested in the way the juice was seeping through the napkin. Ben watched it for a bit too and then leaned over and dumped the rest of his juice on top ot it. Alex got upset at Ben and I said, "Well, just like you were curious about the juice seeping through the napkin Ben was curious about what would happen when he added more juice to it." Alex said, "He's gonna get in trouble that's whats gonna happen." Ü
During our Texas trip my 11 year old neice Monah was trying to convice her mom to let her go to the high school football game. This game was going to be played in Loredo which was 3 hours away from San Antonio and is also a city with a very high crime rate. As my sister in law Cindy was explaning that it wasn't a safe place to go and that people get murdered there Monah, referring to her twin sister, beggerd, "Hannah doesn't want to be murdered but I do!!!" I thought this was hillarious and had to include it!
"Pink is a girlish color and I am not a girl." ~ Andy
"Andy yelled in my ear and that made it pop and the pop went up to my brain and popped my anger mechanism and I lost control." ~ Abby
11-17-10 The kids all brought plants home they had started growing at school. Abby's was doing pretty good until she broke the stems. Alex's plant never came up. Andy's kidney bean plant has really taken off. He is so excited about it. Today he said, :I have to take really good care of it. I just can't let it down!"
10-3-10 "When I grow up I'm going to be a baked potato." ~ Alex
9-23-10 Abby was riding her scooter. She said, "I have a button on the side of my mouth and when I push it with my tongue it makes me go faster." Ü
9-12-10 Alex drew a picture for Grandma Pam's birthday. He wrote his name all fancy and swirly. When he gave Grandma the card he said, "I signed my name in Chinese."
8-20-10 Alex was very proud of himself for reading almost a whole Junie B. Jones book tonight. He got all the way up to chapter 6 and has only 2 chapter left. He told me, "Chapter 5 was so long! Trust me - it was like, 6 pages!"
8-18-10 Ben sang his first song today. No it wasn't Twinkle Twinkle or Sunbeam or any other normal song an almost 2 year old would sing. It was the new Sugarland song that goes, "Uh-oh, uh-oh stuck like glue..." Ü
7-26-10 "I wish I could just push my belly button and disappear." ~ Abby
7-18-10 Alex found a lizzard skeleton in the backyard. The skeleton consisted of the head and backbone. Alex was outside for a bit today and apparently was looking for more bones. Without us even really knowing what he was doing out there he walked in and said, "I just dug up a leg!"
7-17-10 Andy said, "I want to be just like Abby...so I'm going to go put on my shoes!" (Abby wear her shoes constantly - even to bed!)
7-12-10 I got out some of my old barbies and toys and gave them to the kids. Alex excitedly told Abby's friend Audrey, "We played Barbies today!"
7-11-10 We were having dinner at my mom's house. Earlier in the week she had told me she was going to make Chickn Cordon Blue for dinner but then she ended up making some teriyaki chicken. When we were dishing up I said, "I thought you were going to make Chicken Cordon Blue?" Andy - who had chicken and corn on a blue plate - said, "I have chicken corn on blue!"
5-9-10 While doing a puzzle of the United States Andy said, "I know why this state is called Tennessee." "Why?" I asked. "Because they play alot of tennis there!"
5-8-10 We were talking about how when Abby got married she would take on her husband's last name but Andy, Alex, and Ben would keep their same last name. Andy and Alex caught on that the person they marry would then have the last name Allen and so would their kids. Alex said, "Someday there will be Allens running all over the place!"
5-8-10 We were playing "I'm thinking of" on the car ride up to the Gila Valley Temple open house. Abby said, "I'm thinking of something that guides us." Alex said, "Heavenly Father!"
4-18-10 Abby said, "Mom, my hypothesis is that you are tired and stressed out this morning." They are working on their science project at school hence the hypothesis. The funny thing was I was actually in a good mood that morning!
4-12-10 For our scripture story tonight Tyler was reading about when Jesus called and ordainded his 12 apostles. Tyler started explaining about the priesthood and how when the boys turned 12 they would be ordained a deacon, at 14 they would be ordained a teacher, at 16 a priest, etc. Andy said, "So Mrs. Bocchino (their teacher) is only 14!"
3-10 Andy is really into bugs. He wants to save every kind of container we have and use it as a bug box. He says he is going to collect every kind of bug there is in the world and when he is older people will call him the bug man. He is going to be famous and show his bugs on TV. When I told him I couldn't wait to watch his bug show on TV he said, "Well you'll probably be dead by then."
3-24-10 As we were walking to the park this afternoon the missionaries rode by on their bikes. After saying hi to them I commented that that would be Andy and Alex someday. Alex said, "Yeah, those 2 most be brothers." I said, "Are you and Andy going to go to the same mission?" Both boys said yes. Andy asked Alex, "Which planet are you going to on your mission?" Alex said, "Hawaii." Andy said, "Me too." Abby said, "Ales I thought you were going to Pluto." Alex said, "I changed my mind. It's the coldest planet and no one lives there."
3-23-10 The kids were being crazy and I said the phrase, "Some people's children!" Alex still being goofy said, "Oooo, you said the S word!" Abby said, "What's the s word - people?"
3-23-10 We went with Grandma Pam to Filibertos for lunch. Alex said, "I wish we were going to King Burger."
3-23-10 We were watching Barney with Ben. Andy asked, "Is Barney real?" Abby said, "He was but then he went to jail for saying a bad word."
3-16-10 Andy and Alex woke me up this morning saying, "Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve!!" They are a little excited about the leprechaun.
3-14-10 I made a peach crisp for dessert tonight. We were smelling its yumminess as it was cooking. Alex said, "If you smell really hard you can even smell the ice cream!" (which was still in its tub in the freezer)
3-2-10 The kids were listening to Magic Tree House as they were going to bed. They were listening to the one about the Titanic and the chapter was called S.O.S. Alex said,"What's S.O.S.?" I said, "it says help." Alex said, "No it doesn't. It says sos (so with an s on the end)."
3-1-10 Today after playing at the park Abby's "heart felt like a stampede."
2-28-10 Alex noticed Grandpa Allen's hearing aids. He said, "I wish I had hearing aids. That way when Andy is talking back to me I can turn them off!"
2-28-10 Alex told me that he is going to go on his mission to Pluto.
2-21-10 We were discussing what consequence we should have when someone takes or uses something that belongs to someone else without asking. Andy suggested we poke the person's eyeball.
2-13-10 We were watching the Winter Olympics tonight. We asked the kids what they would want to do in the Olympics. Abby wants to do the bobsled, Andy wants to do the luge, and Alex wants to do speed skating. Abby want to do flips (gymnastics) in the summer olympics
2-13-10 The kids were watching Dirty Jobs with Daddy. Abby said, "I would never do a dirty job because I hate getting dirty because when you get dirty you have to take a bath and I hate baths." (The other day we were watching some family videos. Grandma Allen was giving Abby her first bath and Abby was screaming non stop. Grandma Allen said, "She really will learn to love her bath." I laughed out loud because, sorry Grandma Allen but you were wrong. She still hates her bath and cries half the time.)
2-12-10 I was changing Ben's messy diaper. I told him, "when you are a big boy you'll go poopy in the potty." He shook his head no at me.
Today I heard one of the boys invite the other boy to his birthday party (which isn't until September). I'm pretty sure they will both be there.
We've been listening to the Junie B. Jone's books at bedtime. The other day Abby told me, "these books are AMAZING!! They are so funny and you just learn so much from them." When I asked her what she learned she said, "that there really aren't monsters under our beds!"
1-17-09 Alex informed us today that there are 12 years in a month. He also said, "Maybe when Ben grows up he will be a girl!"
12-21-09 We went to the Mesa Temple to walk around and see the Christmas Lights. One of the boys asked, "How do they get those lights way up in the tall trees?" The other boy said, "They must have really tall ladders." Abby said, "Or maybe they have really nice tigers who climb up and do it for them."
12-16-09 Apparently Ben thought his bath water was too hot. When some was poured on his tummy he started blowing on himself. Ü
1216-09 Last Sunday I finally got set apart for my nursery calling. Shortly after the blessing started Alex came up and put his hands on top of Tyler's and Brother Stanley's. Stinker! I pushed him away. Tonight at activity days Brother Stanley commented on it saying how cute he thought that was. How come everyone else thinks that the annoying things the kids do are cute?
12-16-09 I was explaining to the kids that the word Christmas has the word Christ in it. Later on I heard Alex tell Andy that Christmas is how you say Christ in Spanish. He was kind of listening I guess.
12-16-09 We've already got quite a few presents under the tree. This morning Alex said, "Even if I did make Santa's bad list look at all the stuff I've got!"
12-14-09 Alex was singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." He sang, "Good timings to you..." Andy said, "No it's not 'timing' it's 'tithing'."
11-29 -09 A few funny things happened today. First of all on Sundays we eat our big meal at lunchtime. I was calling the kids to dinner and said " Andy dinnertime." He said while walking in from outside, "You mean lunch mom." Oh yeah, I meant lunch. So then I called Alex, "Alex, lunchtime!!" Alex said while coming downstairs, "You mean dinner mom!" Oh yeah, I meant dinner. Abby has been going to choir with Tyler. He went in to tell her to get ready and noticed she was hiding something in her little jewlry box. It was a piece of fresh ABC gum! Abby said, "Dad I've been saving that! I've had it for a long time" The gum was gray. Tyler threw it away. This evening the kids were looking at the I Spy Christmas book. They were looking for the almond. Andy said, "I bet it will be by the nutcracker." Abby found it in the nutcracker's mouth. Andy said, "Yep, that's by the nutcracker all right." Then tonight we watched a movie before bed. I asked Andy, "How come your cheeks always get red when you watch movies?" He said, "Because I'm moveless" - meaning he doesn't move when he watches a movie and afterwards he's tired.
11-17-09 Ben can't talk yet but he still does funny things. The other day he was crawling around on Grandma's floor. He was wearing velcro shoes and the straps were undone. The velcro stuck to Grandma's rug! He kept trying to go but he was stuck. So funny! That same day he took the lid off of his plastic sippy cut with his teeth. Then he shook his cup - and dumped cold water right in his face!! He didn't think it was funny but I sure did. Serves you right for taking your lid off!! Ü
11-10-09 The kids were trying to earn a park day with Grandma on Veterans Day. Abby ended up missing it because of some bad choices. She was very dissappointed and as an alternative to missing the park she suggessted going without dinner for 2 weeks. She even said, "I'll skip Christmas this year!!" Wow, she must have really wanted to go to the park. They were going to get donuts too - maybe that's what she really wanted.
11-13-09 We were walking home from school and there was a big dog in front of us. Andy said, "That is a boy dog." Alex said, "How do you know." Andy said, "Oh it's easy to tell." I was gearing up on some kind of anatomy lesson when Andy said, "That dog is black and most black dogs that I know of are boys."
11-7-09 We were playing I Spy in the car. I said, "I spy with my little eye something turquoise." Abby said, "Your skin!"
11-09 Andy calls a marshmellow a "smarshmellow", mashed potatos "smashed potatos", and the Fiaui's (a family I bring home from school) the Fuitluis (Alex says "No Andy. It's the Fia - EWWW- i's!)
8-30-09 Tyler did a safety lesson for FHE. He also taked about drugs in his lesson. He asked, "Does anyone know what a drug is?" Alex said, "Yeah, a jar." I said, "Not a jug - a drug." He said, "Oh, you mean like you drug something across the carpet?" Nope that's not what we meant either.
8-09 My party decoration box has been out since Ben's birthday. Alex found the number 7 candle and the nubmer 2. He brought them to me and very excitedly said, "Mommy, when Daddy turns 72 we can use these!!"
8-21-09 We got Subway for dinner. Alex said, "I wonder if pigs like Subway?"
8-09 The other day I asked Andy who his favorite friend to play with at school was. He said William. Then I asked Alex the same thing. He thought and thought but couldn't think of anyone. Then he said excitedly, "I know! My best buddy is Ashton!" Andy said very sadly, "But Alex, aren't I your best buddy?"
7-28-09 We went out to dinner at Old Country Buffet tonight as we were close to one and had coupons for kids to eat free. Tyler was making a taco and Alex asked, "Is this where the vegetables are (meaning the sald bar). Tyler said, "No this is where the Mexican food is." Alex said, "I didn't know cheese was Mexican food!"
7-25-09 We went to a water park this afternoon. We had quite a few funny comments on the way home. Alex said, "I went down the water slide so many times I think my brain forgot how to be smart." He also said, "I'm so thirsty I could eat a whole giraffe's blood!" Gross! We were talking about how big our little town has gotten and the new buildings that have been built since we have moved here. Alex said, "The pioneers were the first people to live here." I told him I didn't know if pioneers lived here or not - I'm not sure who the first people who lived out here was." Andy said, "Adam and Eve silly!"
7-2-09 We had the missionaries over for dinner Monday. Out of the blue, in the middle of dinner Abby says, "I had a colonoscopy and I have a disease." She also tells them she goes to counseling. I briefly explained to the elders what was going on and then Abby turns to the elder next to her and so seriously says, "Do you have a disease?" The elder cracked up and said, "Wow, I think you're going to make it into my journal tonight!"
We reminded our kids that 3 new temples were going to built in Arizona. Abby said, "That's terrible!" Due to our experience at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple our kids are now expecting 3 storms to hit when our temples are done. Alex said, "If Satan was that mad when only 1 temple was built he's going to be really mad when we get 3!"
6-28-09 Abby said she wanted to watch the "stripping warrior" movie (Helaman's Stripling Warriors). Grandma Pam said, "I like to watch stripping warriors too!" MOTHER! Ü
6-2-09 Tyler walked into the boys room tonight to check and see if they were asleep yet. He found Alex standing at the foot of the bed calling up to Andy, "Andy, wake up, I thought you said we were going to stay up all night. Wanna see my underwear?"
5-09 Abby has a good "rememberization."
5-23-09 Abby's ears had been bothering her. She said, "When they first started hurting it felt like a teeny tiny fire. Now it feels like its burning up three countries!"
5-09 Abby has a Bella Dacerella movie, bar, and mat. She pulls it out about once every 8 months. Last Sunday was the day. She came to me and said, "Mom, can I do Bella Mozzerella?"
5-09 I made chocolate chip cookies while the boys were at preschool. When they came home Andy said, "Something sure smells good!" Alex said, "Is it tacos?!" I found this especially hillarious since I never make tacos. Ü
5-09 Alex asked me how old I was when I married Daddy. I told him I was 22. Alex said, "I wish I was 22." Andy said, "Why, so you could marry a Daddy?"
4-09 One of Abby's toes has been bothering her for awhile after stubbing it when she dropped from the monkey bars. Grandma Pam told her that even if it was broken there wasn't anythimng the doctors could do for a broken toe. Abby said, "Well if it broke all the way off they'd do something about it right?"
4-19-09 When we got in the car to go home from church Alex said, "It smells like hot in here!"
Abby can't quite get her primary teacher's name right. Instead of Brother Johansen she calls him "Brother Johandsome".
3-26-09 Andy saw a picture in the Ensign of Jesus at the Last Supper breaking the bread. He said, "I didn't know Jesus ate quesadillas!"
3-14-09 Last night at dinner I said, "Ben who do you look like?" Andy said, "Peter Pan!"
2-09 ~ We were driving down the road practicing spelling some simple words. Alex asked, "What does p-o-o spell?" I told him it spelled poo and expected some kind of potty comment. Instead Alex got so excited and said, "I just spelled the first part of Pooh Bear's name!!"
1-09 In Preschool the boys talked about Martin Luther King. They filled out an "I have a dream" page where they told Mrs Randall what their dream was and they drew a picture. Alex's paper said, "I have a dream that Pooh Bear will be real and climb a tree."
2-9-09 Abby was getting a blessing from Daddy the night before she went in for her IVIG treatment. Andy said, "That means you need to get some soil on your head."
"I can't wait for morning time because then I can eat again!!" ~ Abby
Andy and Alex were having a disagreement. I heard Alex tell Andy, "I love you too much to argue." Good ol' Love and Logic parenting at work. Ü
Alex told me, "Mommy, I love you. And even if all your teeth fell out I'd still love you."
When Grandma Pam was here she made cowboy casserole. She said, "I ate all my food so now I'm a cowboy." Andy said, "No you're not. You're just ol' plain old juicy grandma."
Alex heard the song "Teach Me To Walk in the Light" and he asked "Is this a Christmas song?" We said no and asked him why he thought so. He said, "Because it talks about presents." ("Home to his presence we'll live in his sight.")
11-29-08 We were at the Mesa Temple looking at the Christmas lights. We walked by the visitors center and could see the beautiful Chrisus statue. Andy said, "Wow, it's the Statue of Liberty!"
11-08 One of the boys said to my mom, "You're old. Why don't you have white hair like grandpa. My mom said, "How do you know I'm old." He said, "Cause you look it."
11-08 I had asked the kids what they wanted to drink and Tyler jokingly said, "Let's have salt!" Alex said, "We can't drink salt dad. It has too much sugar in it."
11-16-08 I went to make a sandwich today and there were bite marks in the cheese. Eeewww! The culprit - Abby. She said, "Well mom, I really wanted another quesadilla and you weren't down here to make me one and I just HAD to have some cheese so that was the only thing I could do."
11-15-08 "We're cool because Mommy and Daddy have no money." Abby said this in reference to the fact that her and the boys each got $5 from Grandma and Grandpa for Halloween. We often tell the kids we don't have enough money to buy certain things so now Abby thinks she is cool because she apparently has more money than us. Ü
11-9-08 Today we took some extra food that we've gotten from WIC to a family down the street where the husband has lost his job. Alex and Abby came with me. It was sprinkling slightly when we left the house but I figured - no big deal. Well right as we left their house it started pouring and hailing!!! We had just walked to their house as it was just at the end of the street. But we had run home with Abby and Alex crying and saying "ouch" anytime one of the hail drops got them. We were soaked!!! Abby said, "the next time wo go take food to someone and it's rainging I am NOT going."
After Trick or Treating on Halloween I told Abby that maybe she could be a witch next year. She said, "No, I want to be a princess every year...or maybe a ravioli."
11-4-08 I told Abby it was election day and we were going to get a new president. She said, "Does that mean we have to watch parent teacher conference again?" She meant general conference. I told her no and explained the difference between the president of the church and the president of our country. She said, "Well who is it going to be?" I said we had to vote whether we wanted John McCain or Barak Obama. She said, "I sure hope John McCain wins because that sounds a lot better than Barak Obama."
11-08 Abby was watching Pocahantas. It was at the very beginning where there is a big storm. Abby said, "They should have had the Liahona." Abby also said she loved John Smith. When I asked her why she said he was a good "movier."
10-08 Last week Tyler was helping Abby with her spelling homework. She had to write sentences using her words and 3 of her words were she, in, and him. Tyler suggested the sentence, "She is in love with him." Abby said, "Hey that is a fact!" Apparently she is in love with Khalil from her class.
10-08 The other morning Ben woke up a little before 5am to eat. He was back down by 5:30 so I just decided to stay up. I figured I'd have about an hour to get some stuff done before the kids were up. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and who should come in but both boys! I was like, "Go back to bed!! It's still dark outside." Alex said, "Well why are you awake?" I said, "Because I wanted to get some stuff done before you guys got up." Andy said, "You did get something done - you brushed your teeth." We now have a rule that they are not allowed to come out of their bedroom until it's bright outside.
10-12-08 Here was Alex's joke tonight..."Why did the meatloaf eat the carrot? - Because he was hungry!!"
10-08 I was telling Tyler that his mom said Benjamin looked a lot like he did when he was a baby. Tyler said, "I don't have red hair." Abby said, "The doctor does!" Tyler looked at me and said, "Wait a minute!"
10-08 Right before we had dinner Andy asked, "Mom, do gorilla's get baptized?"
10-11-08 We made Koolaid to have with dinner. Alex said, "It's called Koolaid because it's cool and its laid." Andy said, "Laid is how you say red in Spanish."
10-08 Abby keeps getting General Conference confused with Parent Teacher Conference.
9-29-08 Abby made a "chey kain" at Girl Scouts today.
9-5-08 Alex said, "Well Ben ate his dinner and now he's wide asleep."
9-08 We were reading our Book of Mormon stories for the night and the story was about the Liahona. We were talking about how the Liahona only worked when Lehi's family was righteous. Grandma Pam (who is here visiting) asked the kids if the Liahona would work at our house. Abby said no. When grandma asked why Alex said, "Because the batteries are dead."
8-28-08 We were trying to explain to Abby that the shorts she was wearing needed a belt. Tyler told her she wouldn't be able to go on the monkey bars that day if she didn't have a belt because her shorts might slip down and people would see her panties. Abby said, "I don't want to go on the monkey bars today. I just want to chase boys."
8-27-08 Abby asked Tyler, "Why don't the boys at school like putting on lips gloss but my boys do?"
8-20-08 We drove by some road construction today and of course the boys thought it was cool. Andy said, "When I grow up I want to be a worker roader!"
8-08 I was reading while I was eating lunch. Andy asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was reading. He said, "But your mouth isn't moving and I don't hear you." I told him I was reading in my mind. He said, "Oh" then said, "I'm going to read the curtains in my mind." He looked at them for awhile and then said, "The End." Ü
7-29 We got into the hot car today and Andy said, "I'm flooded!" When I asked him what he meant he said, "Flooded is the Spanish way of saying 'It's really hot.'" Ok?
7-23-08 Abby thinks she is"eletric" (allergic) to egg yolks because they make her gag. Andy also had an owie that "kasploded with blood" today.
7-8-08 We were making maccaroni and cheese with dinner and the kids wanted to help. Andy said, "Ok, Alex will pour in the water, I'll do the cheese and Abby can put in the mac."
7-1-08 We were reading the book Mary Had a Little Lamb and I asked Abby if a lamb came to her school if all the kids would "laugh and play" too. She said, "Well the good kids like Isai and David would probably keep working but the kids who don't like to do their work, like me, would probably laugh and paly."
5-08 The boys went over to the Elementary School for a speech sreening. In talking to the boys one of the questions was about getting into a car with a stranger. When Alex was asked if he would get into a car with a stranger he said no but Andy's reply was, "I sure would. I'd just hop right in." I guess we need to work on stranger danger a little more. Their speech was fine by the way.
6-08 Abby woke me up at 5am the other morning. "Mommy, Mommy my tooth fell out. My tooth fell out!!" Her two top middle teeth are loose. She looked like she was holding something in her hand so I said, "Well, let me see it." She opened her hand and got this funny look on her face because she wasn't holding anything. She said, "Oh, I must have just dreamed it." She went back to bed but was so dissapointed the next day when it hadn't been real.
6-08 Abby has decided that it is "very appropriate" to say her nighttime prayers laying down. "When you lay down even though your eyes are closed it is like you are looking up to heaven and your voice is pointing up so Jesus can hear it better. When you kneel down and bow your head everything just goes into the ground."
6-11-08 I've been telling Abby lately that she is finnicky. Sometimes she likes apples, sometimes she doesn't, etc. Well at bedtime I asked her if she wanted a blanket to put over her. At first she said no but then she said, "Well, maybe you better leave one for me just in case. I'm kind of frisbee with blankets." Ü
5-23-08 Abby explained to us at dinner how Heavenly Father made the sky..."He took a piece of papaer and colored it all blue then He took a picture of it. Then He clapped His hands and the picture went up into the sky and it went all over. That's how I think it happened. He did the same thing for the sun, stars, and clouds, and stuff. Heavenly Father is a really good drawer." She then said that everything else He made with His hands.
5-18-08 Andy said to Alex, "Pretend I'm Jesus and I'm walking across the water." Mommy's little heart went Awww. Ü Alex said, "Hi Jesus, I'm Swiper the Fox!" (from Dora). The two characters just didn't go together to me. Ü
4/29/08 Abby asked us during dinner, "How do you sign thank you in Spanish?"
4/18/08 Alex said to Andy, "I am telling a lie. I did not get your ducky pillow wet."
4/8/08 Abby - "The baby really has to be a girl. That way I won't have to help out around here so much. Mommy - "What do you mean? Mommy is going to need lots of help with the baby." Abby - "Yeah, but when she gets older she'll be able to help me take care of these boys."
12/07 This happened awhile ago but it is too cute. My parents were here for Christmas and my mom was putting Abby to bed. They were talking about the birth of Jesus and all that good stuff when Abby asked, "Grandma, how old are you?" My mom said, "Older than dirt." They got to talking some more and singing when Abby said, "How old is he anyway?" My mom wasn't sure who she was talking about and said, "Who Jesus?" Abby said, "No, that Dirt guy you were takling about."
8-3-13 Andy: "Every time I go outside for more than two hours, I get so sweaty, Abby always asks me if I dumped water on my head." Abby: "I've never said that to you in your life." Andy: "Yes you have. One time you even tasted my sweat to see if it was water." Lovely...