A Day at the Zoo

We spent a perfect day at the St. Louis Zoo on Saturday. It was about 68 degrees while we were there. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

Amazing Flowers

We stopped by our temple Saturday after a morning at the zoo. I had to get up close to take some pictures of their amazing flowers! Gorgeous!
I don't know what these are called, but they were so thick and luscious! I just wanted to get up there and lay on them, kind of like I do clouds when I'm in an airplane.

Aren't Big Brothers' Great?

When Edward changed Mallory's clothes last week, he noticed mysterious scribbles on Mallory's back and, sadly, rear end. Obviously this wasn't a feat that our little genius could master herself. Big brother Drew was happy to take credit for this one. He was pretty proud of his masterpiece.

Small World

I got a kick out of a story my sister-in-law Jessica told me this weekend. She said she had been talking to a friend from Sikeston that told her she was needing to replace some springs on her kids' trampoline. She was browsing the Internet looking for a deal. When she googled "trampoline springs" guess what popped up? My entry about Edward's trampoline incident! That is hilarious!

My Turn

After contemplating a shorter, angled haircut for some time I finally decided to take the plunge. I've admired this style for a long time, but I've felt that my face wasn't thin enough to pull it off. I've now come to accept the fact that my hair isn't what will make my face look thin. It's having a thin face that will make my face look thin, and that whole process isn't so fun. Anyway, I love how it turned out. I may even go a tiny bit shorter the next time.

Words of Wisdom

I have a new admiration for plumbers. I don't think they make nearly enough money. In fact I think they should make more than SHAQ, A Rod, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. combined. What has led me to this new respect, you ask? Three words: RAW SEWAGE BACKUP. Yes, that is how we spent a fun-filled Saturday. Good times, good times.

The girls and I were out shopping when I received a frantic call from Edward telling me to come right home. I had visions of Ross breading his leg on the trampoline or Drew needing stitches from a fall. Edward then informed me we had sewer water coming up from the drains in our basement. "Oh joy of joys."

I came into a stinky house to find Edward in the basement moving things around as fast as he could. He would occasionally get splashed in the face as the item he had just thrown caused back splash. I tried my hardest not to laugh (see earlier "Trampoline Trauma" post). Is it terrible that one of my first thoughts was, "Oh man. I've gotta get the camera so I can post about this on my blog"? Anyway, the grody sludge had gotten to my pile of things for another yard sale. Oh well. I wasn't too upset about that. It was also around all my stored kids clothes. Thankfully, they were stored in plastic bins and were fine. After everything was removed for the danger zone, I donned my plastic gloves and got to work with the Wet Vac, sucking up all the nastiness.

A plumber was called and the problem was discovered. And here's the story: All last week we were hard at work landscaping - planting flowers and shrubs, pulling weeds, chopping roots, mulching, the works. One day while Edward was still at work, I pulled up an old shrub and exposed this pipe:
It had a half-cracked cap that Elizabeth accidentally stepped on and completely broke. So,what's a kid to do when finding an open pipe? Why drop rocks and sticks down it of course! Drew and Elizabeth took turns dropping rocks to clear out the spider webs. It made for some cool sounds as they "thunked" at the bottom. Okay, okay. I took a couple of turns too. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. What? It was pretty fun! Little did I know the trouble we were causing.

It turns out, that pipe has something to do with the plumbing at our house. Hmm. How about that? So, apparently, those rocks and sticks were all getting lodged in our system, clogging it up, thus causing the sewage problem in the basement. I guess I'll know next time.

So my advice for the day is don't let your kids (alright, alright - or yourself) drop rocks and sticks into a pipe they don't know where it leads or you could end up shelling out 100 bucks to a plumber and have to deal with the gross clean-up yourself.

P.S. The plumber tried pulling out what he could, but there are pieces that were too big to get out. He told us until we can get those out, it will probably happen again. I guess it serves me right!

The "Real" Circus

On Friday, Drew and I accompanied Ross' class to the Moolah Shrine Circus that came to the St. Louis area. We couldn't pass up the opportunity. We've been to this circus two other times, and it is very good for the price (I only had to pay $12 for both Drew and me). We had a great time.

As I was watching, I couldn't help but wonder about getting a job in a traveling circus. How does one hear about a job opening in a circus? Clown school? Gymnastics lessons? The Tiger Training Association? And what qualifications must one possess to apply for a job? "Applicant must be willing to walk the Ring of Destiny blindfolded, and must also be willing to toss Hula Hoop Girl her rings." Who knows.

Here are a couple of pictures. My camera is pretty cheap, so it didn't perform well under the Big Top.

Ross was absolutely appalled and embarrassed for this man because of the the purple and silver la may unitard he had to wear.
Elephant rides

Elephant performance

It's hard to tell but these were the tigers. The second and third graders' favorite part of this act when one of the tigers went to the bathroom in the middle of the performance. They laughed and giggled for what seemed like two minutes.

The acrobats are always impressive. Dylan, this picture doesn't really show it, but I'm pretty sure this was the same acrobat you saw at a circus a few years ago :) I tried to go back on your blog and link it here, but I'm not that good.

*UPDATE*

Thanks, Dylan, for the link. Loyal readers, see for yourselves. I believe it was the same acrobat:

http://higgfarm.blogspot.com/2007/02/best-or-worst-18-bucks-ever-spent-you.html

The (Preschool) Circus Has Come To Town

Drew's preschool performed a circus for the parents last Thursday. Drew has been telling me for a few weeks he wanted to be a bear. I kept putting off coming up with a simple costume, thinking I had plenty of time. Well, of course I forgot about it until he reminded me Wednesday night. Darn it! So after much convincing, we talked him into being a ferocious lion (an old Halloween costume).
Surprisingly, he was the loudest "snack seller" of all the kids there. They sold treats for "one money". We racked in the treats!

These are all the "animals" in their cage.

This is Drew's best buddy, the Strong Man.

Listen to that ferocious ROAR!

Whew! He made it through the Ring of Fire!

Elizabeth's New 'Do

Elizabeth got her hair cut last week in a darling new bob. We love it! She had the goal of growing it out for Locks of Love, but the tangles just got to be too much for the both of us. In fact, the hair dresser pulled out a ruler and said to her, "You've worked so hard to grow it out. You only have about 4 more inches before you can donate it. Are you sure you want to do this? You won't be able to put it in a ponytail." I was screaming in my head, "DON'T TRY TO TALK HER OUT OF THIS!!! THIS WILL MAKE LIFE SO MUCH EASIER IN THE MORNINGS BEFORE SCHOOL! AAAAAGGGGHHH!" Luckily Elizabeth didn't change her mind.

She was tired of me being too rough each day, and I was tired of it looking so raggedy. I was a bit surprised when she agreed to the cut, and I was worried she was going to dislike it (this is my child that really struggles with change). Thankfully, she loves it. I love it too, and I especially love how easy it is to take care of. In fact, it has inspired me to cut mine shorter. Stay tuned as I have a hair appointment tomorrow!

Jean Shopping

I used to love going shopping for new clothes. I still get excited to go, but that excitement quickly fades upon entering the dressing room. Ugh!

Jean shopping is the worst for me! It seems the new style in jeans is the "skinny jean". Let me tell you, you have to actually be skinny to get them to work I guess. *Sigh*

Ridin' Around In My Automobile...

...My Baby Beside Me At The Wheel.

After a long (too long) hiatus caused by a dead (very expensive to replace) battery, the old truck has been dusted off and brought out for two more cuties to enjoy. Grandma Jani bid on and won this truck for Ross at a charity auction when he was just two years old. He used to drive baby Elizabeth around in it for hours. Now, another little big brother is taking his baby sister/girlfriend out for hours at a time. It's so fun to watch them. We have the perfect driveway and yard for this toy.

Birthday Girl

Sunday we celebrated Mallory's birthday with my parents, my sister's family, my Grandma Wright, & Aunt Cathy & Uncle Steve. We don't do as much, sadly, as we did for the other kids' first birthdays. It was fun anyway!
She didn't quite know what to think when we started singing to her and Mary Catherine brought out the cupcake.

"Yay! Birthday cake!"

Mallory is a tiny little thing. At her appointment today, she weighed 18 lbs. 10 oz (5-10 percentile) and is 29 1/2 inches (50-75 percentile).

She's a little jabber jaw and can say (or at least she means to say): Mama, Dada, light, cat, bye-bye, no-no, hi, hello, kids, uh-oh, ow, baby, ball. She also signs more, drink, and please.

She continues to be the favorite person in the house. She brings such joy and happiness to our family. We're glad she's here!

Smarty Pants

I don't want this post to sound boastful or like I'm bragging, but I did want to share some exciting news about Elizabeth. About a month ago her teacher wrote me a note telling me she was recommending Elizabeth for our school district's gifted program. She asked our permission to have her tested. The children have to score a certain percentage to be accepted into the program. I thought it was just exciting to have been recommended. We got word last week that she has been accepted into the program! We are so happy for her! She was very excited. We later found out that only six first graders in our town have made it into this program. That's quite an accomplishment!

She will go every Tuesday morning to the school and will then be bussed over to her regular school in the afternoons. For those of you who know I don't allow my kids to ride a school bus (I'm an overprotective Mom, I know), only the six first graders that are in the program will be on the bus, being taken to their regular schools. I'm okay with that.

Today was her first day so I'm anxious to hear how it went! Elizabeth, the outgoing young lady that she is, is a VERY BIG worrier. I think she gets that from her Aunt Katie ;) She worries about everything that is out of her control. Even though she was excited to start today, she was quite nervous. She even knows four of the other kids that will be in her class, but she was still apprehensive. Once we got there this morning and she saw the other kids, she seemed right at home. I know she'll have a great time!

Happy Birthday, Mallory!

OOOOHHHHH, time goes by WAY too fast! Today my baby turns one! She brings such joy and happiness to our home! Every prayer Elizabeth offers includes the words, "Thank you for sending us Mallory." Drew continues to tell me everyday that he's going to marry Mallory. And the boys get into a fight weekly over who's girlfriend Mallory is.

I started this blog one year ago to share with our far-away loved ones the pictures and news of our sweet new addition.
Little Miss Personality - Her fun little personality is really starting to show now. She loves to play "Cool Baby."
I just love her little nightgown! How cute is she?!

I had hoped my last child might turn out quiet and meek, but it wasn't meant to be. And I wouldn't take her any other way.

Mallory was born on my sister, Andrea's birthday. Happy birthday, ladies!

Yard Sale

Last Saturday my sister and I held a yard sale here at my house. We spent the week before decluttering/dejunking our little hearts out at our respective houses. I had our kids go through their things to get rid of their junk. Ross was wanting to get rid of anything and everything, from broken pieces of plastic to some beloved PlayStation 2 games. He has his heart set on upgrading to a Nintendo DS. Elizabeth, too, was willing to depart with a lot of loot. I did notice, however, much of the stuff she was willing to depart with belonged to someone else. Drew wanted to get rid of NOTHING! He was so funny. There were things he has never played with in his life that instantly became treasured heirlooms.

Last Friday Andrea and I spent the day organizing and rearranging my spacious three car garage to make a shopper's paradise. We had that place packed! I originally thought I really didn't have that much stuff, but we absolutely ran out of room. Between Andrea's stuff, our stuff, and a little bit of my parents' stuff we were jam packed.

Friday was rainy and yucky. We hoped for a nicer morning on Saturday, but I awoke to icky drizzle. I got up at 6:30 for the start time of 7:00 (most of you know I don't particularly enjoy mornings). At 6:40 I happened to look out a front window and noticed our cul-de-sac was bumper to bumper cars. I thought, "That CAN'T be for us." I looked out a back window and saw the same scene. It was NUTS! I continued getting ready, telling myself these eager souls would just have to wait for the advertised start time of 7:00. Can you believe my doorbell rang at 6:45!!!!!!! Now, normally I'm a pretty patient, laid-back person, but if someone disturbs my early morning slumber or takes the chance of waking my sleeping children, I'll come at you like a maniac. I raced down the stairs, threw open the front door, and nearly scared the poor girl to death! Wouldn't you know it was a young girl of about twelve standing at the door, obviously sent by an impatient parent. Rather sheepishly she asked, "Do you know where (my address) is?" I responded, "YES! THIS IS IT, BUT WE DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 7:00!!" Ooohh, I was grumpy!

When I finally opened the garage doors at 7:00, it was an unbelievable stampede. As the doors were slowly lifting, I couldn't believe the number of feet I saw. The people literally ran in. You would have thought it was Black Friday, the start of Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. It just shows you how much "yard sale people" miss their beloved pastime after taking a winter hiatus.

We couldn't believe how well we did. Andrea's family came out the winner with over $400. Our family made over $200, and my parents made $80 off of the miscellaneous junk. That was insane to us because we really didn't have any high priced items. Andrea got rid of a day bed for $50, and I got rid of all my baby stuff -sad but true:( , but nothing over $20. It was all little junk that netted us a nice payoff.

As to our monetary reward, I plan on using it toward our purchase of airline tickets to Orlando. Edward just qualified for a trip to Orlando at the end of June. We had originally planned to take the money the company would give us to drive. After all, it costs the same to drive two people as it does six. After a recent one hour family car ride to St. Louis, I decided I would do whatever it takes to earn money to purchase the extra three plane tickets for the kids (the company either pays for the mileage to drive or it pays for the agent and one guest to fly - we have to cover the three big kids and Mallory can still ride in my lap). I am not cut out to entertain my kids for a long car ride. I know that sounds terrible, but Edward and I can't take the constant bickering for that long! (I was excited to find round trip tickets from St. Louis to Orlando for just $144!!! But I digress!)

If you are wanting to to earn some spare pocket change, I suggest having an early spring yard sale!

ALLERGIES!!!

This is the reason spring is my LEAST favorite season. Ugh!!!!!!

Felker Look-alike Meter

I found this fun little website tonight. I don't know how scientific it is, but it's interesting to see.

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Felker Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Finding relatives - Family name history

Felker Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Felker Look-alike Meter

Cathy, I don't think you're really going to believe this one.

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family tree templates - Family pics

One Man's Trash...

With spring comes the fun job of spring cleaning. During the first week of April our city provides a free junk pick-up of anything two men can carry. At about ten o'clock at night we set out our kids' destroyed "clubhouse" (the gargantuan box that my mom & dad's 73 inch flat screen TV came in), their broken picnic table(notice a pattern here?), an old unused sand box, and an old, faded, mildewed scarecrow with a severed head.

We noticed a truck pulling a trailer drive past several times as we made trips back and forth to get our junk. We were so surprised the next morning to see the only thing left at our curb was the cardboard box. What could someone possibly do with a mildewed, decapitated scarecrow!? Some people live for city wide trash pick-up week. This whole week I've seen people driving around with trailers mounded high with junk. It's pretty crazy.

My dad has a friend that used to set things out at his curb just to see what people were willing to take for free. The funniest thing was a BOX OF SAWDUST! He set a box out at his curb, and stuck a sign on that said "FREE." The next morning it was gone. What's one man's trash is another's treasure, that's for sure!

And She's Off...

Mallory started walking about a month ago. Drew especially seems amazed. Every time she walks, he excitedly proclaims, "SHE'S WALKING!"

Also in the video, you can see her signing "more." I love baby sign language! I think it helps so much with communication. We're both less frustrated when she needs something.

Yesterday at the store, she was helping me push the cart. When she noticed the dairy section was within her reach, she toddled over to inspect its contents. She picked up a package of biscuits and started signing "more" meaning she wanted to eat them.

Congratulations Williams!

Our very dear friends, Scott & Jessie, welcomed sweet baby Quinn yesterday! We are so thrilled for them, especially because it took several years for them to "order" her. Baby Quinn is also welcomed by big sister Anna who is 8. Congratulations Williams!

Snaggle Tooth

How funny is this?! Usually babies get their bottom two teeth first, followed by their top middle two teeth. Mallory has one of her top teeth and the one right next to it. It cracks me up!

Our Monkey Girl

Mallory scaled our barricade last week. She's takes after both Ross & Elizabeth. She climbs everything like Ross and is afraid of nothing like Elizabeth. This could prove to be a very dangerous combination!

Trampoline Trauma

Last week I was blogging about pet peeves. Here is one I have about myself: Why do I laugh when I see someone get hurt? I'm not such a bad person that I laugh when blood and extreme pain are involved, but sometimes it's pretty funny when I see someone injure him/herself. Why do I do that? It annoys me, but darn it, I can't help it sometimes.

Case in point-today at my parents' house Elizabeth had been begging Edward to bounce her on the trampoline. Finally he was ready after what seemed like an eternity to Elizabeth. He ran out to the trampoline and took a flying leap without using his hands. That was pretty impressive. Before Elizabeth had time to get on, Edward started jumping as high as he could. And let me tell you, he was going HIGH. Unfortunately on the fourth jump, things took a turn for the worse. He jumped WAY too close to the edge and lost control. It looked like slow motion (later he told me it felt like slow motion too). The poor guy had one foot go off the trampoline and one foot go through the springs. He landed on the metal bar, his legs dangling on either side. Luckily (if I dare use that word) he was leaning back a bit, so his tailbone took the brunt of the impact. As he waddled in the house, I was telling myself, "Don't laugh. Don't laugh." I couldn't even open my mouth to say anything. I saved the laughing until after the door closed. When I could finally compose myself I was able to go in and ask if he was alright. When he was able to get his breath back, he told me it hurt - pretty bad. I couldn't hold my giggles in any longer. I have to say Edward is so gracious to my insensitive laughing. He laughed right along with me.

The poor guy had an ice pack down his pants for the rest of the night and has been pumping ibuprofen like it's candy. He's set his alarm clock for 2:00 a.m. so he can stay on top of the pain.

I told him I'd go to the pharmacy and pick up a donut cushion if he wanted. He sits at work nearly all day, so it was the least I could do. After getting to Walgreens I wondered, where would one find a hiney donut cushion? I giggled some more at the thought of asking an employee. I did a couple of laps at the store without success, so I did have to go find someone. Guess what? The employee that I found goes to church with us. That made me giggle even more as I felt the need to describe a little of the incident. In fact, I'm still giggling as I type this. Shame on me!

To make the situation worse, Edward is flying out to Salt Lake City on Friday to drive his youngest sister home from college. They will be making the 20 hour drive in two days. He'd better pack his donut.

Up Close & Personal With a Dead Cat

We spend every Sunday evening at my parents home for dinner. One Sunday a month my 95-year-old great grandma joins us. Today was our day with Grandma. When it was time for her to go home, Drew decided he wanted to ride along with my parents to take Grandma home. Apparently, he got an eyeful of dead cat at her house.

My dad was in Grandma's backyard fixing something while Drew played close to him. Dad heard Drew say, "That's really freaking me out." Dad asked, "What?" as he continued with his chore. Drew replied, "That. And it's teeth are scary." Dad decided he'd better investigate and found a dried up cat carcass in Grandma's backyard.

I asked Drew what it looked like, and he said it was brownish black and it's mouth was open revealing it's teeth. Earlier when Dad gnashed his teeth to demonstrate to Mom & Grandma, Drew told him with a straight face, "I can see your nose hair."

Drew also told me it smelled so bad that it smelled "worse than dead fish." That must have been pretty bad. I asked him how he thought it had died. He told me he was pretty sure a dog ate it and then spit it back out. He then proceeded to get a stuffed dog and demonstrate.

That was the highlight of his day.

*P.S. I think this picture is so funny. But what wacko would have thought to make that sign? Funny.