KALEBISMS

Not to be outdone by his little brother, here's a few of the funny things Kaleb's said over the past few days.

It's fun staying home from church when you're sick.
Life is good.
Good call, Mom!
I want to be a super-hero when I grow up.
Here you go, Little Man. (He got Dylan a drink of water & came up with this nickname all by himself.)
We had a LOT of fun with Dad while you were gone!
When I grow up I'm going to marry Emma...or maybe Natalie.
Whispered in my ear during Conference...Do you know what else I want to be when I grow up? A prophet! President Kaleb.

Day at the Museum in Houston

DYLANISMS

Dylan is in this funny parrot-like stage where he likes to repeat everything we say....especially Kaleb. It's normally repeated in a very high-pitched voice with inflection, like it's a question.

Here are some of his sayings that are all his own...some cute, some not so cute!

Cool dude! (with his little thumb sticking up)
Come on, dudes!
Where's Haleb? (his version of Kaleb)
STOP IT!
HUG!
I want baby! (this entails pulling up my shirt and putting his little cheek up to baby)
T-Da!
Do it self!

Songs he likes to sing:
I love you, a bushel & a peck...
Monkeys jumping on the bed
Sunbeam
Go, Diego, Go
Mr. Sun
Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro (this is Kaleb's fav, too)

Artist in Residence

Kaleb has this cute habit lately of wanting to do a "project" every day. It normally happens while Dylan's taking his nap. This typically means something artsy, although sometimes it can be something else, like baking with me. He's always loved animals and so he drew this picture yesterday, colored it this morning, and displayed it for our Primary Talent Show. He was so proud!

The Jungle

I love how he includes 4 legs for all animals and faces, too. I'll have to try to get a better image on here, but he's drawn a giraffe, tiger, lion, squirrel, elephant, zebra, sloth, monkey, butterfly, and two birds along with a tree, pond, grass, sky & sun. Pretty detailed for a four year old... I might be a little proud myself. :)
This is one of our all-time favorites: "Mr. Strong." Kaleb came home from preschool with a picture of himself wearing his favorite t-shirt that he was wearing that day. He also colored his pants his two favorite colors, blue & yellow.


Kaleb in his giraffe mask he made in preschool. We carpool, so he rung the doorbell, and I found him on the doorstep with this mask on. So cute!

PRIVATES

Being the mature & insightful parents we are, Ben and I could never decide what we should teach the boys as far as private parts go. Do we go with proper anatomy names or the silly names we grew up with? To me it just sounds wrong to hear a little kid say penis, or worse...the v word! I don't even like the word breasts.

So it shouldn't be surprising that our boys have made up their own names for private areas. A few years ago, probably while potty training, Kaleb started calling "it" his "peep." He was going pee, it kind of makes sense, we went with it. Then Dylan was born and I was nursing, so he started asking questions. I told him it was my chest, where Dylan got Mommy's milk. He has a chest, girls have a chest, no big deal. Well, recently he and Dylan discovered that they have nipples, and the new name around here is "booms."

Kaleb told me today I was going to look silly when my tummy and booms got bigger. I'm already HUGE, being in my last trimester, so I asked him if I looked silly already. He said no (thanks to some minor brain-washing by Ben who tells him that Mama is ALWAYS tiny), but I'm pretty sure he meant yes. Our CrAzY boys!!!

Confessions of a Pregnant Drama Queen

If you've noticed I don't have the usual "pregnancy glow" that everyone talks about, it's because I have insomnia. It's my worst side effect of being pregnant, and I don't remember having it until the very end with Kaleb, but with Dylan and this little one, it's been throughout my pregnancy. I lay awake and worry.

Worries about our baby...will she be healthy? What if she has spina bifida? Will she be a giant? What if she's covered in hair? (Ben always teases about this.) What if she has no hair? (more than likely.) Nursery...fabrics, paints? Do we have everything we need? Name? What if someone chooses the same name as us? Will I make it to the hospital on time? Some of these are fun to think about, others not so much.

Worries about dear friends who are struggling financially and in other ways, and I don't know what I can do to help.

Worries about IDIOTIC brothers making STUPID decisions that I can do nothing about. This may sound a bit harsh, but if you knew them, you'd agree.

Worries about parents who are in financial distress and having health issues, too.

Worries about the ghetto our neighborhood has become and recent horrendous crimes that seem to never end.

But eventually I do sleep, a cat nap here or there, and then I have WiLd dreams that I remember, because I've probably only been asleep for an hour or so. Recent dreams:

Meeting up with a friend who moved to town recently for a girls night out. We met up with a bunch of girlfriends for dinner, and this friend whom we hadn't seen in a month or 2 showed up with a mullet! The scary part was we all adored it, and talked about having our hair done like hers all the way home. I won't name names, but her hair in real life is the envy of all I know!

A tiny black & white fuzzy spider climbing up our patio wall. The boys and I were terrified, yet enthralled... it was cute to us somehow, so we didn't want to kill it. No idea how this one turned out.

We're planning our 10 yr anniversary... a trip to Hawaii. It's still a year and a half away, but we're already planning. In my dream I told Ben if he went on this excursion while we were there, I'd wear anything he wanted...think swimwear! This is something I would never offer...a) very self-conscious about my body b) modest is hottest on this old gal c) I know he'd choose something ridiculous on purpose because that's just the way he is.

Most recently, I went into labor and nobody was around to take me to the hospital. I must have dropped my boys off somewhere because I was alone, but I drove myself to the hospital. Once there, I pushed and pushed for hours, and no baby came. I was discharged, and drove myself home still pregnant, crying through a monsoon storm.

I don't know why I'm sharing all of this, but I think I'm hoping if I get it off my chest, sleep will come. I've been trying for over 4 hours now...ugh!

Blake & Amanda's Wedding

The happy couple!

Last month we were fortunate enough to fly to Texas and attend Blake & Amanda's wedding. The bride & groom were gorgeous, the wedding simple and sweet. Ben kept everyone entertained as the MC for the program, and it was fun just being altogether. The Murdock grandparents went from 4 grandsons, to 8 grandchildren overnight. Welcome to the family, Manda & girls... we love you already!

Bella, Cali, Kensi, & Braelynn

New Twist on an Old Recipe...

peanut butter rice krispie treats

1 bag of mini marshmallows
1/3 c. peanut butter
2 T. milk
4-5 c. of rice krispies

Heat first 3 ingredients in the microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 min.
Spray bottom of pan with butter flavored cooking oil. Stir marshmallow mixture till smooth, then add cereal. Stir until cereal is coated, then press into pan. Makes 9x9/ 8x8 inch pan, or double ingredients for a full pan size. YUMMO!