Our 3 Blessings

One of these is not like the other. We had each of these taken when our kids were 2 months old or younger. When we got Avonlea's picture back Quinn could not get over how much McKay and Lele look alike. We already knew they did but these pictures really show it. Jess said all our kids look exactly the same. We don't see that. We think Gensie still looks like part of the family, but Lele is REALLY looking like Mook.

Dressing up my Dolls

   I have loved having a little boy. I have really enjoyed dressing McKay up and helping him look like a little man. Styling his hair, cutting his hair, finding little suits that fit him.  You name it I enjoyed it. I think little boy clothes are so cute. BUT...LITTLE GIRLS are just DARLING. I have LOVED dressing Gensie Lou, finding outfits, putting outfits together, making bows, doing PIGTAILS is my favorite, the ruffles, frills etc. Now I am so lucky I have 2 little girls to dress up. I tell Quinn I still play dolls. I dress them up, style their hair , and I enjoy it so much. The only difference now is that they are real dolls, alive and kicking, literally.
   I like to post pictures when Gensie is wearing an outfit with boots because my youngest sister LOVES boots, so this is for you Nan. I found this dress at Goodwill about a year ago. I have been keeping an eye out for a shirt to match it because nearly all little dresses come sleeveless and this is a winter dress. A few months ago I found this shirt. The boots I found at Goodwill for $7, I think, and I made her hair bows. I love this outfit on her. On our way home from church I was noticing all the leaves.  They were so yellow. After Quinn got home from his meetings I grabbed Gensie and we ran down to the hospital that is on our street because they had some great leaves under their trees. I took some pictures but it was getting late so the color isn't as great as I'd hoped and it is NOT easy getting a 1 year old to pose for a picture. I couldn't get her to hold still but you get the idea. She is so DARLING.

How many Super Heros live in your house?

A few weeks ago I was shopping for kids clothes. I was at a second hand childrens clothing store and found some Superman pajamas WITH a cape. For some dumb reason I was hesitant to get them. Probably because McKay doesn't even know who Superman is. So I called Quinn and said "Hey what do you think about these since McKay needed some more pj's?" He said for me to get them. I brought them home and before I could get them washed McKay was wearing them and LOVES them. He spreads out his arms and runs up and down the hall and all around the house "flying." When he's wearing them he is no longer McKay nor are we allowed to call him McKay. He is Superman! If I make the mistake of saying "Hey McKay" which I do often he says "I'm not McKay, I'm Superman." I don't know how he does it but he remembers EVERY time to correct me. On the other hand once he has gotten dressed and I have finally started remembering to call him Superman if I call him SM then he says " I'm not Superman anymore, I'm McKay." As the mom I made the mistake of thinking I would name my child then would only have to remember the name I chose for him, WRONG. Don't worry, it doesn't end there. We now have to call Gensie Super Girl, Dad is Batman, Avonlea is Bat Girl, and Mom is Wonder Woman. A basic conversation that you would all take for granted, at our house now goes like this.....

Mom: "McKay, will you go get me a diaper for Lele?"

Mckay: "I'm not McKay, I'm Superman and do you mean a diaper for Bat Girl?

Mom: "Yes, sorry I mean Bat Girl. McKay will you go stop Gensie from doing that?"

McKay: I'm not McKay, I'm Superman. Yes, I will stop Super Girl."

McKay: "Wonder Woman, can we call Batman at work and see what time he's getting home?"

Mom: "Gensie, come to mom."

McKay: "She's not Gensie, She's Super Girl and you are Wonder Woman."

Mckay: "Wonder Woman, will you put Bat Girl right here on the floor so she can play with me?"

Mom: "McKay why is Avonlea crying?"

McKay: Avonlea is not crying. Bat Girl is crying. I'm not McKay, I'm Superman."

He is always very nice when he corrects me but he still corrects me every time. I want to play along with him so bad but as soon as I start remembering to call him SM he gets dressed and is no longer SM.  Quinn says "Batman and Wonder Woman have some pretty powerful genetics considering we have produced Superman, Super Girl and Bat Girl!"

More funny things from McKay

Last night was bath night for the kids while I was out with the missionaries.  I got home and was found out I missed an eventful bath time.  For the first time ever (and hopefully the last) Gensie pooped in the tub.  Tasha had already taken Avonlea out and dressed her, so that was good.  She scooped Gensie up and put her on the toilet, pulled McKay out and wrapped him in a towel, and then went to the other bathroom to take her curlers out of her hair while the tub was draining.  (Steph, you are not the only one to get ready for the day...at night.)  All of a sudden McKay comes running into the other bathroom with no towel and crying hysterically.  He was so panicked and crying so much that Tasha couldn't understand him.  She could hear Gensie hollering so she ran quickly to Gensie.  Tasha found her still on the toilet...well IN the toilet would be more accurate.  She had slipped down so that she was folded in half with her arms, head and feet sticking out.  After she got Gensie out she asked McKay why he was crying so hard and so scared.  Here is what he said:  "I was just scared because Gensie fell in the toilet.  Because then, if we closed the lid and flushed it, then Gensie would be gone and we would not have our Gensie anymore!" 

Today, while I was at work, Tasha pulled out the fall decorations and put them up.  McKay was so excited!  He kept on saying we were having a party.  Well, in the decorations he found a porcelain ghost and yells to Tasha (as he is holding it above his head), "Look Mom!  I found the Holy Ghost!"  He then had to tell Gensie about it and told her, "We just LOVE the Holy Ghost".  Later he asked Tasha, "Why do we put up fall decorations Mom?"  She told him about Thanksgiving and then after Thanksgiving is Christmas.  As soon as she brought up Christmas McKay says, "Oh I am so excited for Christmas!  Because then we can put up a Christmas tree and hide presents in it and put the Holy Ghost in it!"  If any of you remember last year during Christmas time, McKay informed us that the Holy Ghost lives in the Christmas Tree.  You can go back and read it here if you would like.

Our Little Bear Cub

Avonlea is such a joy!  She is so happy and has her own way of expressing it, to say the least.  Just today at church she stole the attention of most of our Sunday School class (which is in the chapel by the way) with her growling.  Tasha and I were not thinking much of it since we are used to it, but it didn't take us long to notice everyone looking in our direction, or rather Avonlea's direction.  She most definitely has a cute little cooing voice, but more often than not she chooses to growl.  She is our little bear cub!

Our kids and music make a fun mix

Our kids love music and singing.  Even Avonlea will relax even more when she hears music and you can just see her amazement and interest.  Here are a few video samples of the joy our kids bring to our home.

This is McKay and Genesis playing 'Church', or at least a portion of it.

The other night Tasha went to some stores with a friend, so Dad got to babysit.  We had a great time!  While I was putting together some dinner I turned on some IZ and our kids decided to have a dance party.

Baby Sat by Minors

I know we've said this before but I'm gonna say it again: McKay and Genesis LOVE Avonlea. McKay has always been a baby person so he has played, loved, smooched and held her a lot from the beginning. Gensie I think was a little young to know how to, but now she has really learned. She holds her, talks to her, giggles with her, and has even tried to nurse her. Gensie will go sit down on the floor by Lele and start saying "Hi Eeyee, hi babe." Then she grabs one of Lele's arms and pulls her closer by just her arm. Many times I ask McKay to go sit by Avonlea if she's crying. She is VERY social so MOST times that she cries all you have to do is go talk to her or even just sit by her and she'll stop crying. Quinn blames her socialness (my turn to make up a word, Jess and Corinne) on me since I don't like to be alone either. Often when I'm making dinner, taking a shower, doing the dishes, or any other of the many things a Mother does in a day, I ask McKay to go sit by Lele and baby sit her for me for a minute. He is very good about doing it. He'll sit by her and say "Avonlea don't cry I'm right here" or "Where's dat mile?" Then on lots of occasions after the kids have watched her for me she'll start crying where they can't get her to stop. When I come and pick her up she cries in my arms for a minute like she's telling me about what happened or about how sad she is. I always imagine she's saying "Mom, I'm tired of being baby sat by minors." I think a baby can only take so much of older sibblings that are 1 and 3.
   She rolls over and has for a while now. When you put her on her back she almost instantly rolls to her tummy. I can't keep her on her back and sometimes I want to because after so long on her tummy she gets tired of it, then she gets fussy because she forgets she can roll over to her back. She is trying very hard to sit up and we think she's pretty close. She is a very happy baby. When she "talks" to us she growls. I'm not kidding. She can really growl and she does it A LOT. We really get a kick out of it because it's her happy voice but it's a growl instead of baby coos. Once again we have been so blessed with a great baby. I've never had a colicky or fussy baby and I really think that's because I take them to the chiropractor right after they're born. Avonlea SMILES, SMILES, SMILES. She has never giggled yet. She has come very close but not actually done it.  She makes up for by smiling at everything and everyone. She sleeps 12 hours at night. She goes to sleep around 9-9:30 then wakes up once to eat but it's usually between 5-7 in the morning. We are so blessed and we love her very much. She has been the perfect addition to our family.

 

Watching a movie together.

Gensie wanted to hold hands while she drank her bottle.

When I said they "baby sit" I wasn't kidding.

Of course since Gensie did it McKay had to try too. It looks like Gens is waiting in line for her next turn on the ride.

McKay will play and play with her.

Where's Lele

Peek-a-boo

Our two beautiful sisters.

More notes from my kitchen cupboard

Here are some more of our fun kid stories for your enjoyment.


This is pretty funny. The other day Gensie was saying something to Avonlea that sounded like 'black' but I don't know what she was really saying. McKay heard her and said "Gensie she's not black, she's banilla." Also we have some cousins that are half black. One of the boys names is Bronson. McKay also has a friend in nursery named Bronson. He was telling us about Bronson the other day and to clairify which one he meant he said "Mommy, I don't mean da black and brown Bronson, I mean da one what's Banilla."
   After all this happened I wanted to see what he would say about uncle Ron because he is full black. I asked him "Is Uncle Ron black or white?" He says "Uncle Ron's not black and white he's black and brown."


Sunday morning I was getting ready for church. Gensie was sitting in the hallway lifting up her shirt trying to nurse her doll. After a number of attempts she brought her doll to me and said "Mom, baby eat" and held out her doll for me to feed her. When I told her "no thanks" she took her baby to Dad.


McKay was wearing a shirt that was getting too small for him. I told him it didn't fit him any more because he's getting too big. He replied "I'm getting so bigger I almost gonna be a Missionary and a Prophet and a Confrent." He meant confrence because he knows that has something to do with the Prophet.


When Gensie gets in trouble it is usually for hitting and we take her to her bed for a little sorry time. The other day I had to get her in trouble and took her to her bed for I can't even remember what for I just know it wasn't for hitting. A few minutes later I hear her holler "Sorry hit, sorry hit." I couldn't get to her for a minute so while she waited she contiued to holler "Knock knock sorry hit." When I wouldn't answer she would say "Knock knock" like she was trying to get my attention then would holler "Sorry hit."


We had an old ensign with President Monson on the front.  We didn't need it any more. I handed it to McKay and told him to go put it in the trash. He grabs it, hugs it up against him and says "Oh mom, we love our Prophet."
   After that he sat down next to Lele and said "Avonlea I'n gonna read you a book about President Monson on da front."


When Gensie drops her sippy cup she will pick it up put it over her shoulder and pat and shush it like a baby and say "Sippy sad drink sad shhhhhh."


Every Friday when Quinn gets home from work he says to McKay "Guess what, I dont' work tomorrow." McKay is always so excited. One night when Quinn was putting McKay to bed he hears as he leaves the bedroom, "Dad, don't forget to not work tomorrow don't forget."



Mckay says to me "Mom I'll be right back. I have to give dad a big question."


Gensie found our Sunday school manual with a picture of Lorenzo Snow on the front of it. She sits down to look at it and points to the picture and says "Jesus".  McKay sees her do that and says in a very correcting voice " Gens dat's not Jesus. Dat's Darenzo No."


McKay brought his pajamas into the living room to put them on. He threw them on the ground right by Avonlea and her hand snagged them so she brought them to her mouth and started chewing on them. McKay sees her and says "Oh Avonlea no eating my pajamas. You eat da food what's on Mommy."


Mckay sometimes thinks he can be Gensie's parent. I was in the bathroom putting my makeup on when McKay comes in. He tells me he took a toy away from Gensie. I asked him why and he says "Her can't have it, her didn't obey me, her was being a mean girl."