Kenners' Silly Sayings

Welcome to our first installment of Kenners' Silly Sayings. My sweet 4 year old, Makenna,{Kenners, as we so affectionately call her} is a Jabber.Box. This child never stops talking {hmmmm, where does she get that?}. And some of the things that come out of that mouth . . . let's just say she is one very imaginative little girl. I am going to have to keep track of all her ramblings, as this may just be a regular installment. My girl has a lot to say.

Let me first set the scenes by mentioning that Kenners has a bit of a lisp. Truly, all of her ramblings are that much sweeter when you imagine the lisp.

Here we go!

{While Sierra was out fishing with daddy the other day, Kenners and I spent some time together. She is very good about taking care of all her babies, and she didn't want to leave Sierra's babies out}:

"I'm taking care of sissy's baby doll while she's gone 'cuz baby dolls need love too. Not just real babies."

{Can I get an Amen? Also, did you imagine the lisp? Cute, no?}

{While in the kitchen making sandwiches, Kenners was keeping me company. We began to chat about Kameryn getting some teeth soon}:

"Hey mommy, sometimes you can call her teeth toothes"

{pronounced: tooth-is, mmm-kay}

"Ooooh, it looks like Kam has a pretty muddy diaper"

{obviously said while observing a messy, breastfed baby poop diaper change ;)}

{When I asked her to put away her Bella Dancerella Ballet Barre, she proceeded to hoist the thing over her head and march it to her room}

"When I carry this over my head, it makes my muscles taller"

And lastly, no matter what I ask of her, whether it be to put something away, put her shoes on, sit at the table, etc. this is her response:

"Sure thing"

Dear, sweet, Makenna, every day with you is like a breath of fresh air!

A Happy Girl

Vivienne at The V Spot just tagged me! The name of the game is to list 6 unimportant things that make you happy. You'd think this list would have been a cinch to come up with, but I kept thinking of a whole lotta important things that make me happy. I did some searching, and here is what I came up with.

The Little, Unimportant things that make me HAPPY!

1. Having my nails done. From the time I was 16 years old until last summer I had acrylic nails. {That's 12 years for all who must know}. I loved how having my nails done, polished, professional, made me feel somewhat put together. If I was looking a little worse for wear, hey, at least I had my nails done! And let's not underestimate the importance of having a couple hours to myself every three weeks ;)

2. When Kam gets a full, long, uninterrupted {by sisters, ahem} nap. You would not believe the excitement I feel when Kam is well-rested. Being the poor, third child she just doesn't have the peaceful, quiet house that her oldest sister {and even Kenners} had.

3. Blog Comments. C'mon, you knew it was coming. Honestly, it amazes me {shocks me, even} that anyone would be half-interested in my ramblings. When someone leaves me a comment, I am happier than should reasonably be allowed.

4. A new article of clothing. Oh how I love to shop. It is a little embarassing how happy I feel after finding a new dress, skirt, shirt . . .

5. Catching up on laundry/housework. Somehow we always have laundry waiting to be done around here. I love, love, love reaching into the basket to pick up that final sock and toss it into the wash. Woohoo! Of course, the empty basket lasts about 5 minutes, and then it quickly fills up again. But those 5 minutes, those glorious 5 minutes, I feel as though I've accomplished something.

6. Putting on a jacket, sweater, anything with a pocket, and finding money in it that you didn't know you had. This doesn't happen to me often, but every once in awhile I'll find a $5 or even $10 bill in a pocket, and I about have a heart attack, I get so excited. Sad, I know.

That's that! I now tag . . .

1. Lisa @ Onegirliegirl

2. Tecia @ The Kirven Crew

3. Kelly @ Parenting Princesses

4. Mel @ The Cartoon Bubble

5. JJ @ I'd Rather Be Laughing

6. Rhonda @ Down Memory Lane

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition Week 11

First things first, if you are new to Extreme Makeover, Me Edition, go straight to the girl who started it all ~ Amber! She dreamed up this journey for women who want to get healthy and feel better about themselves. Go check out her blog, catch up with others, and link up yourself!

Sooo, I didn't even know it was Wednesday until I was catching up on my blog reading and saw Lisa's EM:ME update. I have been a little out of sorts lately. I can't shake this exhaustion, and I cannot seem to remember anything. I'm just not feeling like myself. However, I have been exercising lately. YAY! Not every day, but every other day I seem to be able to get in at least 30 minutes of aerobics, and some plain ol' walkin'! This is a step in the right direction.

Amber's Question of the Week:

What's your favorite thing to drink while you're losing weight? We all know how important it is to get that water intake up, especially with summer almost here. What's your favorite way to spice it up?

I actually enjoy naked water. I've always been a water girl. If I'm really thirsty, water is all that will do. But, I have recently found water's long lost friend, Crystal Light. I have to admit, I do love it. It works great for those times that plain ol' water isn't enough. It's like a little party for your mouth, and I enjoy it. However, I do not enjoy the flavors that are highly dyed. I tried Target's brand of CL and I can't remember what flavor it was, but it was RED. Red-red. And it dyed everything. No thank you, I don't want to look like I've gotten into the food coloring!

Oh! Almost forgot, the results! I'm down another pound! Yippee :)

Until next week ladies!

When Daddy's Away . . .

A few weeks ago Jeremy went on a quick hunting trip, so Sierra, Kenners, and I planned a "girls night" while he was away. We popped popcorn, watched movies, {ate a little chocolate} and, most importantly, camped out on our living room floor. The girls thought that was the greatest.

You'd have thought I told them we were headed to Disneyland, they were so excited. And we had a great time. Possibly a little less sleep than normal, but it was fun.

Now they want to do it all.the.time. After all, Jeremy is at the station every third night. After a LOT of persuasion, I was talked into it again.

Friend Makin' Mondays ~ Summertime!

And here, my friends, is another installment of Friend Makin' Mondays, hosted by

Kasey of All That Is Good.

This week we're talkin' about 10 things we love about summer

This should be a cinch since I LOOOOOOOVE Summer!

1. BBQs. I love 'em! Get togethers of any kind will do. The girls' cousins are out of school, and both my sister and sister-in-law are home through the summer meaning more flexibility for family gatherings, yay!

2. Family Reunion. Each year my side of the family holds a 3-day reunion camp-out. It's a great opportunity to see our relatives that live farther away. It's sad to admit, but we probably would never see them otherwise.

3. Slip N Slide. I know it sounds silly, but I love the darn thing. The girls could slip and slide all day long, and sometimes I let 'em!

4. Playing outside. We live in Oregon. We're lucky to see the sun at all. Most of the year it is drizzle and gloom, so we try to take advantage of the few decent days we get, and enjoy the outdoors.

5. Sunsets. I just love watching a beautiful sunset.

6. Vacations. Who doesn't love a getaway? Typically we don't do anything extravagant in the summer. But it seems each month is filled with some sort of getaway. A trip to the beach, camp-outs, they all refresh and renew the spirit.

7. Warmth and Sun. I know this is a "duh", but I cannot get enough of the sun. We see it so rarely, I just want to drink it up!

8. Though we go through many a bottle of sunscreen around here, we spend enough time out of doors to get a nice glow during the summer. There is something about a little tan that makes you look healthier.

9. Sundresses. I love to wear them!

10. Long days. Doesn't it just seem like the days go on forever during the summer? I love that it stays light so late, it means more time for cramming in all that summer fun!

So, what do y'all love about Summer? Go to Kasey's to read more about summer fun, and play along!

Only Child = Nap, Exercise, and Quiet

Pictures courtesy of Sierra {a budding photographer}

Yesterday Daddy and Gramps took Sierra and Makenna on a fun-filled fishing trip in the boat. Sierra has gone a few times, but this was Makenna's first trip out.

They took off around 11am, and didn't return home until 9:30 last night!

After a picnic lunch they watched for ducks and geese, played card games, and, of course, fished.

While my two older daughters were having the time of their lives out on the water, Kam and I were having a pretty good time as well. We met up with Nana {My Mom} to check out a new boutique that we've been hearing about. We browsed, found a cute little sweatshirt for Muffin Moo, and a lot more that, sadly, we couldn't take home with us.

I deliberately cut the trip short so that I could get Kameryn home for a decent nap, and guess what, I napped with her. Okay, so I had a hard time falling asleep, and am not really sure I actually made it to dreamland. But I got to lie down on the bed, close my eyes for a few minutes, and even indulge in a little book reading. I was a pampered princess, I tell you!

She almost looked as though she was pondering the change. The quiet, the stillness that comes with being the only two here. It brought me back to those first few months with Sierra. Those lazy days when clothing didn't take over my laundry room, dishes didn't pile in the sink, and my floors were always clean. And while I loved my time alone with Kam, I missed my girls so. I missed the noise, the drama, their shrieks, and the giggles.

My house is not as clean as it once was, the girls aren't always in bed early {okay, so they're never in bed early}, I never seem to catch up on the dang laundry . . . and that's okay. I'm constantly amazed at how quickly children grow. One day they won't need me like they do now, and that, I'm afraid, will break my heart.

So I will take it all in while I can. Even if that means missing out on a nap.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Kam's a rollin' girl! She's been so close for weeks. The other day I had put her down to take brownies out of the oven, and when I came back in the room she had rolled over on her tummy! Now she rolls all over the place. Uh-oh another {semi} mobile child in the house!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Daddy's Girl

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week 10

Welcome to Week 10 of my journey through EM:ME. I say it every week, but I truly don't know where the time has gone. If you're new to Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, shimmy your way over to Amber's for the details, and to check on everyone else's progress. And sign up, why don'tcha? You'll be happy you did!

Soooooo, I'm happy to report that I'm in a better mood than I was last week ;) Not sure what was going on there except that I had been battling an infection and was on some heavy duty meds. I just wasn't feeling myself, I guess. This week I'm feeling much better, am working on getting a little more sleep {though that hasn't really happened yet, it is a goal of mine}, and am overall much cheerier.

I am at the point now where I'm feeling pretty good weight-wise. If I didn't lose another pound, I think I'd be okay with that. I'm within 2-3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight, all of my clothes fit, and I'm happy. However, something needs to be done about the lack of tone. This is a hard one for me, because motivation for exercise hasn't been very strong since I started my journey. When I get into a habit of exercise, I almost need it every day. But when I've gotten out of that habit . . . oh, it's so hard for me to get back in the groove again. And let's face it, it's easier to find the time to squeeze in 30-60 minutes of exercise each day when you have one little one. When you have two, it can be a bit harder to juggle. Now with three (and all of our other resonsibilities ~ homeschooling, dance lessons, swim lessons, church and family activities), if I find an extra few minutes to myself, I'd rather be doing something, anything, but exercising ;) I need to change my mind-set. Once I figure out how to do that, I'll let ya know!

Progress: I'm down a pound since last week. I'm ecstatic about that simply because I know that it's harder to take it off now that I'm practically at goal weight. I added it up, and I've lost about 10 pounds in the ten weeks.

Now, for Amber's Question of the Week:

What's your favorite beauty secret?

1. Mascara. I hadn't realized how important mascara was until I was interrupted in the middle of the makeup routine last week. I completely spaced my final step of mascara. I went about my business, and every time I'd catch a glimpse of myself I thought "what in the world is wrong with me? I look tired or something". I finally remembered my mascara, and voila! All better.

2. Self-tanner. Have to agree with Amber on this one. I've used self-tanner for many years {and boy, has it come a long way!}. It gives you that extra glow, and does wonders for your self-esteem, say, in mid-January when you're feeling all paste-y. It also slims you!

3. Toe polish. I always keep my toes painted. It's no beauty secret, but I feel like my feet look a little prettier when I keep them up. And let's face it, feet just aren't that pretty.

4. Baby Powder. Don't have time to wash your hair? Is it gettin' a little greasy? I sprinkle a little baby powder in my hair brush and dab at the roots.

The next couple are from my pageant days . . .

4. Visine. Have an unsightly red blemish? Didn't get much sleep and now your eyes are the color of tomatoes? Visine to the rescue! Visine seriously gets the red out, whether in your eyes or on your face, so put it to good use!

5. Preparation H. I know you've all heard it before, but it really does the trick to shrink ;) I used to rub it all over the bum and thigh area and then wrap with saran wrap before bed the night before a pageant. It's an instant tone. But that gets expensive, and I'd never use it for that now. Who has the time??? What I would use it for {and need to use it for} is these unsightly bags under my eyes. Try it!

Until next week!

I Feel Like a Queen . . .

All these awards floating around, and can I be honest . . . I still feel so new to the blogging world {though I realize I'm not}, that I don't always know what to do with them ;) Is there a "blog etiquette course I can take??? Because I'm pretty sure that forgetting to put up an award I received weeks ago, not knowing enough bloggers to pass on said award, etc. makes me a big loser . . . pretty much the opposite of someone actually deserving the award in the first place. But I digress {as usual}.

I want to thank Vivienne at The V Spot for this Fabulous Award!

Now I must list 5 of my least favorite things:

1. Gardening ~ Sorry Mom, but I just cannot get into it. I don't really love getting dirty, and the weed-pulling. Ick, it's just not for me.

2. Rudeness {is that a word?}. Why can't people be polite and courteous, and {gasp} think of others every once in awhile?

3. Telemarketers. Why, oh why, must they wait until 8:30 at night to call?

4. Going to the dentist and doctor

5. Clipping babies fingernails. I may or may not have clipped Sierra's skin when she was a baby, which may have contributed to my fear of nail clippers in general.

Time to pass this award along:

Jenny at Our Nifty Notebook

Amber at aefilkins

Kelly at Parenting Princesses

Speaking of Jenny, she nominated me for this award. Thank you so much!

Rules of the Award:

Admit one thing you feel awful about involving being a mom. Get it off your shoulders. Once you've written it down, you are no longer allowed to feel bad. It's over with, it's in the past. Remember, you're a good mom!

I often find myself "shhhh"ing my four year old. I hate that I do it, and I feel horrible afterward, but she always picks the moments when I'm putting my 4 month old to sleep to come running into the room with some news that just cannot wait. I don't want her to feel like she can't be heard {already she's the "middle child", gasp!}.

Remind yourself you are a good mom, list seven things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you. These are the things to remind yourself everyday that you Rock!

1. I love playing "Beauty Shop" with my girls. They just adore giving me a makeover, and how can you argue with someone who wants to brush out your hair?

2. I love that my daughters are girlie girls. They love to dress up, and my six year old always asks for me to paint her nails. Of course we pretend that I am a beauty shopkeeper, and she's having a "medicure" {I think that's a cross between pedicure and manicure?}. It's so much fun!

3. I love that my daughters are so compassionate. Whether it's a hurt animal or a family we're praying for, they have these enormous feelings that melt my heart.

4. I love our snuggle time at night. On the nights that Jeremy is at the station, we have "girl night". We get into bed about 8pm, and watch a movie together or read stories.

5. I love playing games with them. My oldest, especially, loves board games and card games of any kind. Her favorites right now are "Sorry" and "Uno".

6. I love waking up next to my 4 month old each morning. There's nothing better than opening your eyes to a smiling baby.

7. I love that my two older daughters actually fight over my youngest daughter. {This is the only kind of fighting I find the least bit endearing}. They both love her so much they want to be right on top of her giving her loves and kisses.

And now, allow me to pass this award along to:

Jen at Harried Mom of Four

Colleen at Martin Family Moments

Xazmin at This is the Year

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am definitely not looking forward to a summer break from dance and swim lessons just so that I don't have to pack up the kiddos every day. I'm an on-the-go mom who loves toting kids all over town. I do not need a break nor enjoy a peaceful day where we have nothing on the agenda. Not me!

We did not skip out on an extra dance practice for Sierra on Friday evening. Just because it was ninety degrees, there is no air conditioning {so it seems} at the studio, Kam was super grumpy, and the girls were having too much fun with water balloons, that is no reason to skip out on an extra class. We would NEVER do such a thing.

At my brother-in-law's high school graduation on Saturday night, I did NOT {if only for a second} pass a tiny bit of judgement on a mother of an infant Kameryn's age who was about half her size. Especially when said mother asked how my 4 month old got so "big and chubby", and then proceeded to give her daughter a bottle of water and chat to her friends about the previous night out partying, while proclaiming the need for a cigarette. Nope, that definitely wasn't me.

And after a long day full of graduation festivities on Saturday, I did not let my four year old sleep in until 11 am yesterday morning. Let my children sleep half the day away? Never!

I'm so glad I didn't do any of those things last week! How 'bout you? What didn't you do?

With Flowers in Her Hair

Sierra had a dance performance on Saturday. Her first performance with her new studio. It was casual, laid-back. But she enjoyed herself, my little performer.

How did she grow so fast? It seems only yesterday that she was a tiny little bundle who made me a mamma. She's almost seven now. She takes dance lessons, swim lessons, loves to go fishing with daddy. She's my helper. From the time she could stand she would help me in the laundry room and the kitchen. She's my sweet baby girl, who is reminding me daily with her achievements that she's not such a baby anymore . . .