Kids Say the Darndest Things - October Edition

Taken from the sidebar...

We were driving in the car on a street that is by our friends' house...
Katelyn: "Hey! We're in Emily's village!" 10/08

Katelyn: "I'm watching the Prophets!"
At first I didn't know what she was talking about and then I realized it was 11AM and all the PBS "kid shows" were over and the BYU devotional had come on. 10/08

I told Katelyn she would be a Grandma someday. She was shocked at this info - she half-whined, half-screamed, "I don't want to be a Grandma when I grow up, I want to be a children FOREVER!" 10/08

Katelyn definitely likes to be called, "Katelyn" and not any shortened version of her name...
Me: "Can we call you, "Katie?"
Her: "No, Katelyn!"
Me: "How about, "Kate?"
Her: "It's Katelyn!"
Me: "What can we call you besides, "Katelyn?"
Her: "Katelyn Brenchley!" 10/08

She's getting SO big!

I heard this at least 10 times at church on Sunday. Everytime someone stopped to talk to me, that's what they said! I know she is - and IT'S SAD! With my first, I wanted him to hurry and get big cuz I thought, "This is so hard when they're babies!" Now, I'm more in the "let them stay little" attitude! (Just as long as they sleep through the night, take good naps, and don't cry all the time- even when you're not holding them!) She weighs 14 lbs. 7 ozs. and is 25 1/2 inches long...in our Dr's words, "She is tall & skinny!" WOW! How would that be?!? :)

Anyway, Brookelle is now 5 months old - and she is THE Rock Star at our house, let me tell ya!! Even though I've been through this age & stage four times before, I'm still amused by it!

She can frequently be found:

• In her crib in the morning/after a nap soaking wet and with poop covering half her body, clothes, blankets, and bed sheets. (well, maybe I'm not so amused at this one!)


• Sucking her thumb for comfort - interestingly enough, this just started and she hasn't picked one hand - she does both! (Siri, you might not think this is amusing ;))

Grunting at/"Talking back" loudly to the Relief Society Instructor during her lesson.

Grabbing her feet and pulling them to her mouth - yuummm! (Have YOU tried doing this lately? I have - it's a very difficult trick!)

Playing in her Supersaucer - or more like she's sitting in it, but all her bros & sisters are playing with it in front of her!

Doing "baby push-ups" (as the kids have named it.)

Watching Mom like a hawk whenever she's in the room with a look that says, "Don't you dare think about leaving this place without feeding me first!"

Flirting with anyone who'll talk/give attention to her.

Farting/exploding noisily without inhibitions in any [quiet] public place to her little heart's content - I just always pray, "Please don't let them think it's ME!" (but she's a good excuse if it is! heehee!)

Funny how it all starts and ends with poop at this age!

Your Opinion, Please...

With Halloween just ONE WEEK away, here's one for y'all....

HOW OLD DO YOU THINK KIDS SHOULD BE WHEN THEY STOP TRICK OR TREATING?

We've all had some kids come to our house before and thought to ourself, "Aren't you too big to be doing this!" (Or am I the only one?) So, I know that "big kids" probably shouldn't trick or treat anymore, but I don't want THAT answer, I want to KNOW, "what age is a "big kid?" I know it's all about the CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!! (At least it is for ME) thus these "big kids" were still doing it!
"Why do you care?" you wonder. (this subject is being heavily debated these days amongst Ryan, Matt, & myself!) "Harmless!" "What's the big deal?" you say. Well, let me tell you....I still remember one Halloween as a young girl trick or treating with my pillow case and had been working hard all evening for my LOOT. And then, this mean "Big Kid" came running full speed behind me and SNATCHED my pillow case right out of my hand before I even knew he was there and took off with it! ALL THAT TIME & WORK down the drain!! I seriously was so sad to lose all my candy - I was the child who counted down the days until Halloween and got GIDDY thinking about all the candy - some kids do that with their Birthday or Christmas - not me - it was Halloween. (We did NOT have candy in my house growing up!)

Well, this story from long ago does have a happy ending. From out of NO WHERE, my family's Home Teacher, Max Fillmore, came driving up on those "Big Kids" and scolded/yelled at them out his window about their rotten behavior and commanded them to, "STOP!" He then got out of his car and yanked the "stolen goods" back from them, told them to "get outta here," and returned the pillow case to a traumatized, yet VERY GRATEFUL little girl (Me!) Now, THAT'S what I call a "Good Home Teacher!" To this day, he is STILL one of my heroes!! :) After that, we cut our evening short because I was "spooked" - DANG! I only filled my pillow case halfway instead of completely full as had been my plan at the time!

ANYWHOO...Give me a number - What age?!

What's for Dinner? -- SOLVED.

It's that dreaded time of the day...around 5:00PM - I refer to it as "the witching hour" since everyone is acting so lovely (HA!), and one of the kids comes up to me and asks,

"What's for dinner?"

And I'm like, "Oh Crap! I knew I was forgetting something today...and I just figured it out!" :0
The night before I was induced to have Brookelle, I stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning (can't sleep anyway, right?) and made a bunch of meals and froze them since I knew dinner-after-baby is next to impossible. That got us through the first month or so, but ever since then...different story! Can you say, "Pancakes, Cup-o-Noodles, or NOTHING?!" (much to Haylee's delight!)
Well, thanks to my SIL, Mandy, she organized a little freezer meal exchange which FORCED me to do it again! GRANTED it took me ALL DAY LONG today with all the interruptions - I hope no one needs underwear tomorrow, no important homework is due, or we don't have any unexpected guests cuz nothing else got done today! In fact, I just happened to look at myself in the mirror on the way to Ryan's Band Concert tonight (5:30PM) and I saw I'd never put make-up on today AND we had to eat at Wendy's since there was no room in the kitchen or time to make dinner tonight!

BUT......Just LOOK at the "fruits of my labor!" It's a beautiful thing - a freezer stacked with 18 meals!! "If ye are prepared, Ye shall not fear." (No more dreaded 5 o' clock questions!)

And look what I left for Matt to clean up -- LUCKY DOG, HIM!! ;)

*That's another one of our "prenups" - I don't do dishes - HE DOES! IF he ever learns to cook, maybe this clause could be renegotiated! :)

Sorry, Haylee....the pancake days are GONE for now!

NINE is FINE!

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY, KYLE !!!

Kyle did one of those "All About Me" booklets at school, so for his "Birthday Post" I thought I'd share my favorites so we could get to know him better...I didn't edit any spelling or words - that's part of the entertainment!

My full name is: Kyle Logan Brenchley

My nickname is: Kover (ya know, as in that UTAH JAZZ hottie!? - we haven't really been calling him this, but apparently he'd like us to start!)

My address is: Glovers land ("Land" - "Lane" - same diff, right?!?)

My pets are: none

The person I admire most is: Parnets because: They take care of me.

The thing I like the most about myself is: I have my own room.

I am happy when: get what I want.

The things I do best are: play soccer and baseball.

The person I would like to be the most like is: Manny Ramearaz because: I love baseball and he play's baseballl in the MLB.

The things I enjoy doing best are: playing baseball & soccer. (Do ya see a pattern here?!?)

I like to take trips to: Hawii (like there's been so many -- try ONE!)

If I could have three wishes, they would be:

1. 1,000,0000,00000,000000,0000000 wish

2. My own Airplane

3. 3,000,0000,00000 dollars

Sometimes I worry about: wind

Something I wish I could do is: get all money.

Three things I wish I could change in the world are:

1. Make more stastes

2. Make more people to be free

3. Make the world a bertter place

The thing I like best about my family is: its big.

I like it best in my family when we: on vacaitson.

My favorite room at home is: My room because: I sleep in it and play in it.

Three things I like best about my school are:

1. Lunch

2. Math

3. Recces

*notice he didn't put spelling! :)

I like teachers who are: don't give homework.

I don't like teachers who: give homework

The thing I like best about the classrooms is: my desk.

So, here's a question for all you school teachers (Michelle?) out there...when do they learn place values or the correct place to put commas "," in the numbers? Those were some pretty interesting figures, eh?!?

A lot of these were surprises to me!! I would've filled out the paper differently, so it's a good thing that his teacher had HIM do it! It was fun to learn some new things! :)

**I did "This week's Gratitude List" on the sidebar about Kyle, too, if ya wanna check it out.

WE LOVE YOU KYLE !!!

Am I not interesting anymore?

I normally DON'T do tags because it requires me to think too much, and we wouldn't want to do that now, would we?!?
BUT, I was talking to my friend the other morning on our walk and she made the comment that she really likes reading blogs of people without kids or maybe only one kid...because they still do and say interesting things! She said everyone else's blogs JUST talk about their kids' first steps/potty issues/extreme cuteness, etc. So, in an effort to NOT become "everyone else" - I will try responding to these adult-ish tags!

FIRST ONE:
ONE-WORD TAG BLAST! (tagged by Brenda)
The rules are that you have to answer these questions with only a one-word answer.
I rarely only have one word to say, so wish me luck - I'll probably break the rules, I HAVE to expound, ya know!!

1. Where is your cell phone? purse? dryer? kitchen counter? stroller? I'd have to call it to find out for sure!
2. Your significant other? Matt
3. Your hair? Thick
4. Your mother? "Lu Lu"
5. Your father? "Wit"
6. Your favorite thing? sandals
7. Your dream last night? No clue!
8 Your favorite drink? Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper (from the fountain)
9. Your dream/goal? 10 consecutive hours of UNINTERUPTED sleep
10. The room you’re in? Kitchen
11. Your hobby? Blogging? Nursing? - does that count?
12. Your fear? Intruders, black widows, sharks, rattlesnakes, aligators -- ALL very realistic, huh?!?
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? At the store without any children
14. What you’re not? rich
15. Muffins? Big Costco ones
16. One of your wish list items? Husband didn't work so many extra hours.
17. Where you grew up? Illinois, California & finally Bountiful, Utah
18. The last thing you did? Finances/Budget
19. What are you wearing? Baby spit up
20. Favorite gadget? Computer?
!21. Your pets? not allowed!
22. Your computer? neccessary!
23.Your mood? "all-business"
24. Missing someone? All our friends who moved this year -- Backman's, Bos', Page's...
25.Your car? invincible
26. Something you’re not wearing? earrings
27. Favorite store? I'm not LOYAL to just ONE - Kohl's, Costco, Yours, Mine & Ours, Target, Chico's, Mervyn's, The Children's Place, Bath & Body Works...
28. Like someone? Thomas S. Monson
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today, when I was in the car and I heard Katelyn from the back seat singing to the radio, "This one's for the girls who've ever had a broken heart..." I didn't even know she knew lyrics!
31. Last time you cried? About a week & a half ago - at Mandy's Dad's funeral

SECOND ONE:
7 THINGS TAG (tagged by Michelle)

7 things I can do:

• I can bargain shop.
• I can make homemade rolls/bread.
• I can sing, "I am a Child of God" in Japanese to my babies.
• I can do Math - lucky for Ryan!
• I can tan easily.
• I can animatedly read Children's Storybooks.
• I can name off all the 50 United States in alphabetical order.

7 things I can't do:

• I can't whistle.
• I can't talk "Reality Shows" with you - I don't watch any of them!
• I can't understand/learn how to play Chess - unlucky for Ryan!
• I can't resist kissing a baby - again & again!
• I can't ever get caught up on my scrapbooking.
• I can't eat "wild game" meat - it's completely psychological.
• I can't "bounce back" QUICKLY from having a baby.

7 things that first attracted me to Matt:

• When he said, "I'll call you." - HE DID!!
• He did his Home Teaching.
• He was smart/a good student (on a 4-yr. College scholarship).
• He actually attended Stake Conference while at College! - I spotted him there.
• He held my hand going up/down those icy/snowy HILLS at Utah State.
• He's Optimistic.
• He had braces, long hair, drove a Camaro, & went to Viewmont!! Ha ha!...that was practically a "deal breaker!" (especially w/ my family.)

7 things I say most often:

• "Good Evening! Thank you for calling JetBlue, my name is Suzanne, how may I help you?"
• "Hurry!" - (it doesn't work)
• "Be Careful/Watch out!"
• "The [insert kitchen counter/couch/entry way, etc.] is NOT a dumping spot!"
• "Hi _____________! [insert family's nicknames]
• "SSHH/Be Quiet!" - (also, doesn't work)
• "What was that terrible noise?!?"

7 celebrities I admire:

hmmm...I don't know if "admire" is the right word, but if they're mentioned on "Extra", I'm watching:

• Michael Phelps
• Kelly Rippa/Regis Philman
• Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher & the rest of the Desparate Housewives women & men
• Michael Johnson - darn that Usain Bolt!
• Sarah Palin
• Mary Lou Retton
• Brian Regan

7 favorite foods:

• Salad (Robintinos, Costa Vida, Maddox, & Lone Star all have GOOD ones!)
• Prime Rib
• Baked Potato topped w/ steamed broccoli, cottage cheese & black pepper
• Candy Bars - but NOT 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Almond Joy, Mounds, Symphony, SKOR, Cadbury, York, Dove, or Nestle Milk Chocolate bar
• Pineapple (only fresh)
• Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
• Garlic Bread

7 people I tag:

• Jill (the one who made the "interesting" comment) hee hee :)
• Angie
• Beeb
• Heidi
• Mandy W.
• Shawnette
• Kristen

The Dating Game

About 6 months ago, I found out about a product that claimed to get kids to do their chores, get ready for bed, off to school, etc. etc. WITHOUT being reminded (ie: nagging & screaming my head off!) So, OF COURSE, I bought it! It is called, "Children's Miracle Music."

The basics of it are that you get points for each step you accomplish in the designated time - a potential of 12 points/day. When you reach 100 points, you get a "private date" (of your choice) with Mom or Dad - Matt for me, Me for Matt (Yes! we're suppose to do our chores, too!)

Well, we reached a point where everyone had a date coming - so that's what we've been doing this past week!

Matt & Kyle went to good ol' Kaysville Theatre for the $2 movie, "Kung Fu Panda." They got a drink and the REFILLABLE popcorn, even - which Kyle definitely took advantage of that perk!

Then Mom & Katelyn went to ride the "kiddie rides." Ya know, the ones that you see in front of stores sometimes (or in the entrance/exit area) that the kids ALWAYS beg to ride, but ya ALWAYS say, "Not today."? The first place we went did not have a Merry-go-Round like I thought it did, so we rode the ones available there first and then we wandered through the TOY DEPT. of this store and Katelyn was "OOHH"-ing about everything (I've got a lot of good ideas for her birthday, now.) She then found a bike just her size and rode it around the aisles for a while - remember, this is HER idea of a great date! So, then we started to drive to the other place that I KNEW had a Merry-go-Round and when we arrived, I said, "We're here!"... No answer... I turn around, and she's asleep in the back seat! I call her name a couple of times - still asleep. So, we went home - I guess I'm a REAL exciting date, huh?!?

Haylee chose to go to this new Tea House that has come to Farmington. It's in one of these cute pioneer homes on Main St. They have an extensive tea list, but of course, we weren't going to order that, so we had the "Tea 'n' Luncheon" menu instead. Those of you who know Haylee, know she has a VERY LIMITED diet. This presented a challenge when ordering - they had those little "tea sandwiches" - NOT going work! They had a fruit plate, but Haylee only will consider apples and pears - another strike! She LOVES scones & cookies, BUT theirs weren't the "Navajo Fry Bread" or "Oreos" style of these - they were the "English" version - No go! We finally settled on a cheese & cracker plate for her - for $4! The cheese had been cut out into cute flower & leaf shapes. But, wouldn't ya know it, she still found something wrong with it...she ONLY likes orange cheese - not white OR even white & orange speckled, and some of the crackers were "too dark." Despite her not eating much (what an expensive "lunch" for her!), she had a fun time using the baby tongs to get sugar cubes out of the pot and enjoyed all the doilies, napkin holders/rings, & fancy goblets and dressing up in a skirt & blouse!

Can y'all guess what Ryan's gonna do for his "private date?"... Of course, a U of U football game with Matt. He REALLY wanted to go to the game against BYU, but the only way to get [affordable] tickets to that game would be to buy season tickets - and that wasn't gonna happen...so, he'll go to the TCU game - He just has to wait until Nov. 6th!

We've liked doing this because there's not too many opportunities for two people to be ALONE in our home. Also, while we're on our date, they act very mature, obedient, pleasant, no crying/whining, etc, etc. UNLIKE how they often have been acting at home! Just goes to show, they REALLY need 1:1 attention.

Taking Matters into her own Hands

Katelyn USED TO be good when we did her hair, but lately she's been following Haylee's example (screaming with the same intensity as if we were trying to murder her!) About a month ago, Matt was trying to brush her hair and she started carrying on and Matt threatened, "Do you want to cut your hair ALL off?" She answered, "Yes!" What?!? We didn't expect that response - She was suppose to BEG FOR MERCY and PROMISE to be agreeable from that time on...I guess it wasn't a very effective threat. Well, moments later, she walked back into the room and she had a lock of her hair in her hand - Matt HAD asked her if she wanted to cut her hair, right?!? She literally took it as an invitation. She was scolded, but actually this is not the first time this has happened in our home - it's a GIVEN, right?!? I told her that if she still wants her hair cut AFTER her birthday (Nov. 4th), we can do it, BUT I want to get her 4-yr. old picture taken with her long, curly hair FIRST!

I thought we had agreed on this...

So, the other day, her hair was in a ponytail in the morning and then later she came up to me and said, "I don't like ponytails!" I looked at her and she now had a head band in her hair and it was down in the back. I said, "OK!" I didn't think anything of that interaction - she constantly changes her clothes & accessories anyway. BUT THEN, when I went to brush it later, I discovered that she really did not like the ponytail because she had CUT IT OUT! I guess she's really serious about wanting her hair cut! She had pulled on the elastic over to the side where she could reach it before she cut, so now one side goes about to her chin. I asked her where the hair was and she took me to the garbage can and showed me...

Well, remember my Birthday photo plans? I want to keep them, so I tried to pull her hair back and see if you could really tell. It hides it better, but because I KNOW what happened, I can tell - BUT can you? What side do you think got cut? (her left or right?) Can I get away with getting her picture taken anyway with her hair like this? If this photo stumps enough of you - I'm SOO waiting.

UNLESS she gets to those scissors again in the next month!