I’m dreaming of a toothless Christmas.

here is my sweet ash:

this time last night, she lost her first tooth.

in this pic her cheeks are still slightly tear-stained and her eyes a bit shiny.  she didn’t take to this development very well initially.

I can honestly tell you that my kids can bribe me.  sounds backwards I know.  but if they want something, and they have a loose tooth, they will get what they want just about every time if the words, “and I will let you wiggle my tooth” are attached.

that is how ashley lost her tooth last night.

I cannot recall what it was she wanted.

I just remember that I got to wiggle her little tooth.  then, it got stuck behind her other front tooth and she wanted it “back to normal”.  but that was not what she got.  I got it out of it’s stuck position in every way.  got it out of her mouth.

lynn freaked.

(she doesn’t like blood.)

her freaking freaked merrill.

ashley cried.

she looked at herself and said, “now I look ugly!”

she said she wasn’t going to go to school because, “everyone will look at me.”

we talked about that and decided that it wouldn’t be that bad.  today was a half day, so they would only look at her for half of the day.  by the next full day, it would be old news.

(but I am sure her classmates will still look at her.)

when ash initially told me she had a loose tooth, I assumed it was a bottom guy.  I am still weirded-out by the tooth-falling-out-order situation with this kid.  I mean, she refused to be born the conventional way (not that I am complaining.  I loved the c-section.  but it was pricey!), she is pretty stubborn about most things in life, and now, her teeth are going to fall out all wonky.

(totally kidding.  I am aware that there is no set order for this occurrence.)

I am just accustomed to the bottom middle guys taking the fall first.

the second emotion I felt when she first told me of her loose tooth was sadness.  was she really getting older and reaching another milestone?

I thought I told her to knock this business off…

and her perfect little teeth..

those perfect baby teeth…

(sigh.)

but now, I am loving this gap, and the cute little lisp that accompanies it.

she likes the perfect little nook in which to stick her straw.

she got over her sadness when we started talking about all the pros to this situation, like the straw thing, the tooth fairy, and how she would be queen of the day today.  popsicles also helped.  she picked out her own box at the store and promptly turned her whole mouth green. 

as part of the “queen of the day” arrangement we have here, tonight, she picked dinner: spaghetti and meatballs.  she enjoyed feeding herself spaghetti through her new gap.

I am hoping for the next door fellow (who is also loose) to fall out soon.  would prefer it to fall out before christmas, cause really, it would just be too cute!

Spring break!

We really didn’t do much for spring break this year..

I sewed, in preparation for Easter.

Took Ashley to the doctor for her kindergarten check-up.  She got three shots, didn’t bat an eye.  Peyton had to get one that they have been out of since her 18 month check-up (immunize by 2..  it’s up to you!).  She wasn’t as stoic as her sister.

Lynn has had her two front teeth loose for a while now.  They moved in unison  but weren’t doing much else, even with my pinning her down and wiggling those babies.

Friday, we discovered why.  They were both still fixed pretty well in the middle, and they kept bumping into each other.

After more wiggling, we got one out:

The other one was more than ready, but Lynn wasn’t.

I threw out my best bribes, but she wasn’t going for it.

Before our First Egg hunt the next morning, Lynn came to me in tears.

“My tooth is just bugging me so bad!  I want it out..”

I tried to get her to do it herself, it was just dangling there, but she wanted me to do it, and she wanted a prayer first.  Just like last time.  It came out pretty easy, just like last time.

She is pretty cute.

She is also worried about the coming corn on the cob season.

We also know where to go if we are in need of any cash.  This girl is raking it in!

The tale of a tooth..

Little Lynnie-lou-hoo has a few loose teeth.  They are not terribly wobbly yet, but are slightly wiggly right now.  They have been that way for a while.
New year's day, amid your sleepy fog, the little girl informed me that her other bottom tooth had suddenly become more wiggly.
I really shouldn't say suddenly..  she was sneaking and snacking on some tortilla chips.  Those babies always help with the loosening process.
I am the parent who enjoys this stuff.  I could sit and wiggle and tug at a tooth all day.
I loved losing teeth.
So needless to say, I would beg and bribe her to let me pull at it and wiggle it for the rest of the day.  It would usually end with her squealing (Merrill says it was more screaming than squealing..) and then Merrill would tell me to leave it, and her alone.
During one of our wiggle moments, it was made even more loose.
It was quite exciting.
She was pretty determined to get that out before bedtime, but she was too nervous.  It was set to finish the next day.
We said family prayers, tucked the girls in, and went about our getting ready for bed, when I heard quiet sobbing coming from the girls' room.
It was Lynn.
She was afraid that her tooth was going to fall out while she was asleep, travel down her throat, and either she would choke on it, or would have to keep an eye out for it for the next couple of days..  if you know what I mean.
After asking her what she would rather do, it was eventually decided that we would pull it out right then.
After more wiggling and tugging in the bathroom, Lynn decided that she wanted to be the one to extract it.
Then the tears began.
She was so scared!
I tried to reassure her, to no avail.  I asked her again, what she wanted to do about it.  Her answer, "Say a prayer."
I had a proud mom moment in that second..  the kind of moment where your heart jumps up in your chest a bit, you feel choked up, tears brim at your eyes, and your whole body feels warm and fuzzy..  you know that moment?
Oh, my girl...
I got over myself, and said, "Okay..  let's do it."
We folded our arms, and I waited..  and waited.
I opened one eye only to find her tear-filled eyes looking back at me.  Her lip began to quiver and she said, "I want you to say it..  I don't know what to say."
Then came the teaching moment, which was a teaching moment more for me, than it was for her.
"Honey, you say whatever you are feeling.  He understands.  There is no certain way to say it, there is no wrong way to say a prayer..  you just talk, tell Him how you feel.  Sometimes you don't even need to talk.  Sometimes we cry and He knows exactly what we are feeling."
"How does He know?"
"Heavenly Father has known you longer than even I have known you.  He has known you so long, He knows you so well, that He knows what you will choose to wear tomorrow.  He loves you and He wants you to tell Him how you feel.  Talk to Him like you talk to me..  tell me, how do you feel?"
"I am scared.  I am scared that it will hurt and I don't want it to hurt.  I want it out so I can go to sleep and not worry that I will swallow it."
"Then that is what you tell Him."
After that, there was the sweetest prayer said on the floor or our rubber ducky bathroom.  The two of us kneeling together, and my little girl saying a very sincere prayer to her loving Heavenly Father.  She told Him just how she felt and ended with a tearful "Amen".  Then she set to getting that tooth out.
We got it out, and she tells me it only hurt "a little bit".
Now I have to record and remember this, not only for her, but for myself.  There are so many times that life can seem so overwhelming to me.  Putting it into perspective, I think that there are others out there with so many bigger worries or problems than my own..  but they are my own.  I have to remember that He cares.  It is ME and He cares.  He wants to know how I am feeling.  He wants me to ask for His help.  He is waiting to help me and bless me.  I just have to come to Him.  Sometimes all I want to do is cry, and I need to remember that He understands that too.
I love my girls.
I know that He loves them too..  and He loves me that very same way.

A Very Fresh Dinner..

Dinner tonight was delish..

I felt bad that Merrill got to miss it. He was stuck "fixing" some problems at the hotel..

We went out to the garden right as our roast beef was finishing, the bread was toasted, and we hunted for fresh tomatoes. We also came victorious with an (one) ear of corn. It was more mature than it's peers. I shucked it outside (remember the ear wigs...) I broke it in half, and cooked it up for the two girls. They were so excited. I was feeling so bad that Merrill was missing this!

The girls started in on their half of the ear..

Only Ash let me have a bite.. Lynn told me that hers tasted just like Ashley's when I asked her for a nibble..

And here's the warning for you squeamish ones...
Remember Lynnie-Lou's loose tooth?...
It gave a little "pop" when she went in for that third bite.
She told me to wiggle it.
It was SO LOOSE!
One little tap later and it was out.
We were both teary, you can see hers..


Tears of happiness though!

Tonight the Tooth Fairy will undoubtedly visit, and tomorrow, she'll be "Queen of the Day".
I don't know yet if I feel bad that Merrill wasn't here or relieved.. he really didn't want this day to come!

My new toy..

I went and did it..
After years of shopping around, waiting for the right time, having enough excuses to do it, I did it..
I bought a nice, big, juicy camera.
A Nikon D5000.
It was either get a new sliding glass door, and go over our project budget, OR get a new camera, and stay nicely within our budget of fun, new things.
I had the edge anyways..
- The kiddos aren't getting any smaller, quality pics are a must!!
- I am Historian for PTA; we need to have nice pics for historical reasons. ;)
- I am also over Yearbook this year for PTA (similar to Historian, why have two bodies running around to accomplish the same job?).. yearbooks need nice, good quality pics too.. how cheesy would I look, running up to, say the stage, during a really good assembly, to snap a good, close pic with my cheesy point & shoot.. baby on my hip and all..
See.. I NEEDED a big, juicy camera. :)
It's been a story of ups and downs. The day I decided to just go and get it, I went to Costco with my buddy :) they had the best deal, only to find that they were all pulled due to a recall.
I thought immediately that I was being taught yet another lesson on patience.
We went to do our back to school shopping, and the thought occurred to me to look at Target, of all places.
Guess what they had?
Yep.
It's mine...
But it has been recalled.
I am still being taught that lesson on patience!
Onto current events..
Peyton ENJOYED her first day in nursery today. She LOVED it! No crying. The nurser leader said she really didn't notice I was missing until snack came. I pray it goes just as well next week.
Both Merrill and I are teaching.



She manages to entertain those who sit behind us in sacrament meeting too. I think someone might just start to believe that there is a small bear in the chapel. She loves to growl! And say "Mommeee!!" in the sweetest, but loudest voice. Ashley is Ashley.



She is currently planning a wedding to either an olive, or a pickle. She loves them both so much, she just can't decide!



Lynnie-lou is excited for school, and to wear her new Jonas Brother's backpack, and use the matching Jonas Brother's lunch box.. she also announced that her bottom teeth are, "wiggly" today..



Why do they have to grow up?!
It is just another first for Merrill and I..
We are onto another phase of projects for this week.. a new pump for our sprinkler system so we won't have to drag around a hose. I didn't believe the guy who put them in when he told us we didn't need one. He saw the "great pressure" we had when one of his guys hit the water line with his pick axe.. great pressure my butt.. 5 years later, we are getting that pump! (FINALLY!)
We will also be getting some much needed repairs done on sprinkler heads. :) If there's going to be pressure to run them, they might as well work, right?
One of the most exciting new things coming is our vinyl fence and gate, that actually closes, stays closed (containing smallish children in the back yard..), and will open with ease.
Tomorrow I will be picking out the new glass to go around the front door.. no more amber glass.. we might just have to have a moment of silence.. so that will be AWESOME!
After getting all of these exciting things done, we will get the house appraised, and we might just be listing it. It's back and forth, and I still have the attitude that if it's meant to be, it will all work out. We did go and look at a house, still in our ward, just a hop, skip, and a jump, away, that we both love.. a minor quirk, but nothing we can't make work.
We are, as always, back and forth.
I know that it will work out for us no matter what.. if we don't move, we'll just have our nicer, little house full of memories to live in!