pretty much

riley was hugging and snuggling with us on the couch last night (or was it the night before) and out of the blue she said, "i pitty." and it reminded me of another little girl i know. when zoe was about 18 months, john paul was always telling her how pretty she was, but in an effort to express that beauty wasn't the only desirable quality, he also added that she was smart and nice and sweet and fun and happy and...so she would walk around informing all, "i pitty. i smawt." and we loved it. i quickly realized that i also want this precious little girl to know that looks aren't everything. so as riley had me in a headlock (which was meant to be affectionate) i told her, "and you're smart" to which she replied, "but i pitty." "and you're nice," i coaxed. riley's response,"i pitty, too." "but you are also sweet." "but i mo' pitty den sweet." so i gave up. "yes, you are very pretty, birdie...and...you are funny." "mm hmm. i pitty funny."
so true.

what must it be like...

to have a mommy and daddy always kissing you at the same time. one on each cheek. to have a zoe and a jakob fight over who gets to sit by you in the car. to always wake up smiley and sweet. to have a riley who is so concerned if you utter any type of discontented grumble. "you okay you okay you okay." to have a zoe who laughs and smiles at you even when you are pulling her hair. to have a mommy who will bark like a dog to make you laugh and keep you distracted in the midst of continuous diaper changes. to have a big brother who falls asleep asking about you, wakes up looking for you and goes to school missing you. to melt hearts with each "gah!". to have nothing to fear. to be thoroughly entertained splashing in the water, not caring in the least who the bath was intended for. to be adored by all clerks, tellers and sweet old ladies (not to mention the old men). to have no prejudices, few demands, and rare complaints. to make everyone around you happy just by being. to be max.

ham and eggs

zoe and i were on the trampoline when she started showing me some stretches she had learned in p.e. "this is how you stretch your triceps." "you do this if you want to stretch your quadriceps." "and this is to stretch your hamstrings. see this?" and she poked her calf. "that's where the ham is." poke poke poke. "i have a lot of ham in there, huh?" cute little girlie.

my apologies

dear fellow church go-ers,
i must apologize. i am sorry. i'm sorry that you thought you were safe and sound, sitting quietly in your seats, prepared to listen to the speaker and feel the spirit, only to find that we had snuck in beside you/behind you/in front of you at the last minute. i am sorry that while you and/or your spouse and/or your children were reverent and listening/coloring/sleeping we were not. we were giggling/arguing and/or biting. i regret that my baby girl has recently taught herself how to belch (quite loudly, i'm afraid) and that she always decides to reveal that hidden talent when the sacrament is being passed/a baby is being blessed/a prayer is being uttered. i apologize for my boy's fetish for office supplies, which often means our pew is littered with tiny paper/pens/ pencils/paper clips. not to mention the pretzels/goldfish and/or cheerios. i'm sorry that i often appear unkempt and immodest with my little ones crawling all over me. my skirt pushed up to my waist before i realize it and /or a baby's tiny hand pulling down my top to reveal more than ever necessary. i apologize that i, on occasion, forget where i am, and perpetuate the irreverence with tickling and loud kisses in efforts to get the baby to laugh. i'm sorry that my husband often appears uninterested and/or bored. (i have no explanation for that.) i am sincerely sorry about that one time my sneaky little children kept the tiny little cups intended for the sacrament water to play "tea party", but i was so happy they were being quiet, i procrastinated putting a stop to it. i apologize, dear saints, that i warned the young mother in front of me (whom i've never seen nor met) that i might steal her adorable baby boy so that max could have a twin. i shouldn't have suggested such a thing. i would never...probably. i am sorry that i am often found whispering in ears/writing secret messages on backs and/or stifling my loud laughter. i simply can't help it. the monkeys are far too sweet/funny/precious for me to contain myself. we will try to do better next sunday. i promise.

sincerely,
molly

trick or treat, smell my feet

halloween just sort of came and went this year. usually it's weeks, even months, of planning costumes and decorating and buying candy, and then having to buy more candy because we ate all of the candy. but this year it snuck up on us. all spoooky and eeerie like. and since, for halloween, all anyone wants is pictures...here they are, in no particular order:


max was a beastie boy."no sleep til brooklyn!" or nap time. whichever comes first.

jakob was a star wars character (for 2 years running). he was annakin skywalker this year, who eventually becomes the evil darth vader. jakob assured us he will never join the dark side.

zoe was the happiest little 50's girl you ever did see. (she comes complete with her own poses.)

and since riley can never be bothered with pictures...here is one of her sitting still long enough to get the mud off of her shoes.

these are our fav halloween cookies. the witch's fingers even have a pretzel in the center. nothing like the crunching of bones while you're eating a fat little phalange. and the halloween decorations were converted into littlest pet shop hotels. nothing spooky about that. unless the hotels were haunted and the only music in the elevators was boyz II men. right, john paul? right? heeheehee

***witch fingers***

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar (that's one bag)

2 cups peanut butter

1 lb. softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

You'll also need:

almond slivers

bag o' small pretzels

strawberry jam

mix all ingredients together until it's sugar cookie dough-like. mold into finger shape (stick a pretzel in center for delicious bone crunch.) dip one end in red jam (for lovely look of blood) and press a slivered almond on other end (for the fingernail). use a toothpick to make the lines on fingers. chow down.