Even Us "Old" Parents Can Have Fun on April Fool's Day

For April Fool's Day, we short-sheeted Loch Monster's and Sweet Pea's beds. Jellybean doesn't sleep with her covers the right way nor is she long enough to have made this joke funny to her so sadly, she was left out of this April Fool's fun.

We sent Loch Monster to brush his teeth so that he wasn't around when we sent Sweet Pea to bed. She giggles as she gets into bed - not because she's already figured it out but because we're standing over her filming so something must be up. She ends this video in the most appropriate way because she gives the best answer to my question.

Loch Monster's video is a little boring up front because his room wasn't quite ready for bedtime yet. But we got 'em!! And Sweet Pea wanted in on the action as the prank was unveiled to Loch Monster. It's probably way more hilarious to us than to you but enjoy!!

The Cat is Rubbing Off on Sweet Pea

So it's Wed. Mar. 4th - the kids are off-track and we get to have BabyCakes over for several hours while Aunt Lisa, my sis, runs errands. To prevent him from falling down the stairs, we put up the baby gate but set it back off the first step a little to allow room for the cat to still be able to reach his litter box in the furnace room. It's not a walk-through gate. Once it's up, it's up and you either need to step over it or undo it in order to get past it.

So I was sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle on my iPod Touch when I start hearing giggling and screaming coming from the same child. Sweet Pea had decided she wanted to be like the cat and wriggle through the small opening between the gate and step instead of asking for help to get over the gate. BabyCakes made his move. He couldn't resist the trapped prey or the lures in her hair.

Got it! Hmmm . . . now what should he do with it?

Ah, yes. Eat it and flick it. BabyCakes has a metal fetish. He loves to eat and suck on metal. So he has stretched the two baubbles as far as they'll stretch and he's sucking on the metal clasp in the middle. He's also flicking it between his teeth and spewing baby spit all over the rug and Sweet Pea.

"Can you give me some help here, Mom?" "Uh, nope."

Now what? Ah, yes. Let's take the other elastic out.

Draper Temple Open House

On Civils Rights Day, Jan. 19th, we went to the Draper Temple Open House. Eric had a much needed job interview and was unable to join us so I asked my sis Lisa if she'd like to come and use Eric's ticket. We also went with my brother Chris' family.

It was so special to be in the temple with my children for the first time. I got to whisper to them about the special things that happen in the different rooms. As we walked through the bride's dressing room, I stopped Sweet Pea in front of the beautiful mirror and told her, "This is where a bride stands after she gets all dressed up in her wedding dress to make sure she is super pretty for her wedding." The glow that came across Sweet Pea's face and the sparkle in her eyes was so precious to see.

The tour concluded with a small gathering in one of the sealing rooms. We were told that we could sit anywhere we wanted. So the girls and I sat on the sofa that a bride and groom sit on. Loch Monster sat beside us in one of the mother's chairs. The girls thought it was so cool to sit where a bride and groom usually would sit. I explained to them what happens at the altar in that room - that a bride and groom gets married there, kneeling across from one another. I shared with Loch Monster and the girls who would actually sit in the seat he was sitting in and where Daddy will sit when they get married.

Because of where we sat, the kids didn't get to see the beauty of the mirrors. When everyone had left the sealing room, I took the kids to one side of the room so that they could see eternity. I asked them how many chandeliers were in the room. "Just one." But then we looked into the reflecting mirrors and saw how many there were. I told them that when they create their own family in a sealing room just like that one, they would be beginning their own eternal families that will last forever and ever and ever - just like the chandelier that goes on forever and ever in the mirrors.

It was a beautiful, clear, crisp winter day that was so special to have been spent with family - my own children and with my siblings and their families.

Christmas 2008

Let's just say Christmas this year was great! I took way too many pictures to even know where to start just pulling some of them. Even though funds were really tight this year, we still had an amazing Christmas. We focused more on the reason for the season instead of the gifts.

Santa does our stockings and the gifts under the tree come from me and Eric. Santa usually spends as much on stockings as he does on under-the-tree gifts but that couldn't happen this year. I probably did 1/3 of what we normally do for Christmas. I was really, really worried and I braced myself for the kids saying, "Really? That's it? That's all we get?" But they didn't. They adored everything they got. Well, except for Jellybean. She was quite irritated to have received socks as a gift. But that's just her.

Eric and I did nothing for each other but Santa got us each one gift in our stockings. And this year, Santa really did listen to me talk throughout the holidays. He got me Lego Batman for the Wii. He couldn't have picked a better inexpensive gift. More so than the gift itself, though, was that Santa had really listened to me and didn't just get me something he thought I'd like. That meant a lot. My brother did the same thing for me - listened to something I'd off-handedly said, read between the lines, and gave me a gift. It rocked!!

One of my favorite parts about Christmas this year we resurrecting an old tradition my aunt and uncle did in their family when my cousins were little. With funds being tight, I was trying to find large, inexpensive items for the kids' stockings. My cousins never got sugared cereal. That wasn't allowed in their home . . . except when Santa brought one special box to them at Christmas. So Santa swung by the grocery store this year and picked up sugared cereals that I never, ever would buy on a normal day for my kids and put them with their stockings this year. Santa did buy Loch Monster, though, a cereal that he knew I would eat, too, and I'm pretty sure he gave it to Loch Monster instead of the girls because he knew Loch Monster would share with me. :-) Loch Monster got Cookie Crisp, Sweet Pea got a Barbie cereal and Jellybean got Fruity Pebbles. They thought it was pretty cool.

We did have another scare, though, on Christmas day with Loch Monster's migraines and how they basically shut his brain down. We took video again of his incoherency and inability to talk. Once we got some meds and a scrambled egg in him, he started to do better. And our brilliant son was back and normal by that evening, alphabetizing and adding our newest movies into our DVD library. Weird!

Candid Shots - 12/21/08

Candid pictures taken at a Campbell family party. I won't bore you with all the pictures of presents or family or food - just the precious highlights.

Sweet Pea - I think she's going to grow up to be a model. She loves posing for the camera.

Loch Monster - Tender, quiet, brilliant and quick as a whip.

Jellybean - VERY independent and headstrong, hilarious!

Grandpa Campbell singing carols. He had encephalitis of the brain 11 years ago when I was pregnant with Loch Monster. I was terrified that my Grandpa would send me my firstborn child instead of meet him here in this life. He's since been around for many more great-grandchildren coming into the family despite not ever being the same man that he used to be before getting sick and we cherish every moment we get to still have him with us.

My Grandma plays this STUPID $5 gift exchange game every year. We hate it and the spirit of the holiday is completely lost but none of us dare tell that to Grandma. She'd have a fit. This year she finally did size-down the game to only include children under the age of 18 instead of every single person. I was trying to forget that I needed to take three $5 gifts for my kids to put into the pot but sadly remembered that day, a Sunday, that I was suppose to be a dutiful granddaughter and participate. So I scrambled through the house looking for new, child-appropriate white elephant gifts valued around $5. I found a Kid's Apron and Chef Hat set from Pampered Chef that I still had lying around, in the package, unopened. It costs more than $5 but it was one of the three gifts I needed. It would have to do. Of all the gifts on the floor to choose from, having no idea which gifts I prepared and brought, Jellybean picked the apron and hat. She's a wonder!! And she thinks she's the coolest kid ever and is always asking to help with dinner or treats so that she can wear her new duds.

Don't Bring An Elephant to Dinner - 12/06

Sweet Pea dancing at the Festival of Trees with Leapin' Lizards Dance Studio

Lights at Temple Square - 12/01

Jellybean, Sweet Pea and Loch Monster w/ Cousin BabyCakes

A gorgeous shot of the Salt Lake Temple

Surprise! Guess which child is unhappy about having yet another picture taken?

We tuckered BabyCakes out. Being nice and toasty warm, all bundled up in the stroller was the perfect setting for a little nap.

They even try to make the construction sites more festive. Not really working. I'm still walking on wood sidewalks and I can still see cranes, orange cones and blaring work spotlights.

Enjoying their ride home on Trax.

Trimming the Tree - 12/1

We're still teaching her that ornaments should be hung facing outwards so that people can see them. :-)

Trying to find that perfect spot!

Pretty soon, he'll be able to hang the star on the top for me.

Sweet Tooth?

Sweet Pea lost another tooth - her third one. She pulled it out all by herself. But here's the rest of the story . . .

Let's set up the scenario for you: I'm at work, Eric and the kids just got home from the school's show choir performance and Eric needs to use the little boys' room, and the girls want ice cream. So - to paraphrase - I'm gone, Eric's indisposed and the girls are left to their own devices. Through the bathroom door, Eric gives permission for the girls to get their own ice cream. And just like their mother, the girls must have tons of chocolate sauce with their ice cream. (Some days it's ok that Heavenly Father blessed me with two carbon copies of myself - like when it involves eating ice cream. Most days, it is not ok to have 3 Julie's in the house!!) Dad's occupied and can't help open the bottle of sauce so Sweet Pea is going to be the big sister and make sure she and Jellybean get chocolate sauce on their ice cream. She uses her front teeth to try and open the bottle. Eric says he then hears wailing coming from the kitchen - not whining, not whimpering, but wailing. Jellybean is screaming that Sweet Pea has blood everywhere. Eric's still tied up and can only hurry so fast, you know. Sweet Pea is still hysterically crying and is now in the kids' bathroom. Jellybean is just in a state of panic and freaking out. What a brave little girl Sweet Pea is - she wrenched that tooth the rest of the way out all by herself. She met Eric at his bathroom door with tissue in the wound and a tooth in her hand. Oh the drama!! That front tooth was loose but nowhere near being ready to come out yet. She's amazing!! So I guess you could say Sweet Pea has (or rather, had) a sweet tooth!!

"Scary" Halloween

Halloween really isn't my most favorite holiday. Having a birthday the day before meant that I got a lot of Halloween birthday parties. I hate, uh . . . greatly dislike, getting dressed up myself let alone finding costumes for my kids. Bless their hearts, though. This year they all wanted to be what they were last year except the scary (or scarier) versions of those so we added face and hair paint, brooms and some serious back-combing. I can handle $20 bucks for this year's Halloween costs.

Since they wanted to be the scary (or scarier) version of last year's costume, I felt they had to act mean, too. What kind of sick idea was that, Julie, to ask them to be nasty?!?!?! They just couldn't pull off the mean, scary face, though. Maybe it's because I was laughing too hard.

My latest crush, besides a-hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin'-love Barry, is my nephew, BabyCakes. At Family Home Evening on Monday night, we all came (sorry, they all came - remember, I don't do costumes) dressed up for the Halloween festivities planned by Grandma. Ever seen the Disney cartoon about Lambert, the Sheepish Lion? (I know the whole song, by the way. Ask me - I'll sing it for you.) Well, here's our version and BabyCakes' real name sounds almost like Lambert so I love singing the song to him.

And what kind of aunt would I be if I didn't give the other two youngest nephews some air time, too? :-)