Busy Bee Wyatt

Lately, this is all that we've been seeing of Wyatt:

Now that he's picked-up crawling, the kid doesn't stop.  He follows his siblings into their rooms (before they gently push him out and shut the door),  chases the vacuum, around, and crawls up my leg when he wants attention.

Ain't this kid sweet?

 

Look at the brotherly love going on here

 Since the girlies are gone all day now, the boys are starting to rely more on each other for entertainment.

Here's a live action shot of Tank's two newest feats:

Please ignore the mess under the couch.  I have no excuse for it.

Wave Pool

It's no secret that us Merrills have spent pretty much our entire summer at the pool.  But Aunt Whit gave us a chance to experience something new:  a wave pool (and by "us" I mean the lil' boys and I since the girlies had to go to school).

The first time he got into the waves, Porter pretty much ran out screaming.  He may be a bit like his momma and not enjoy things when he feels out of control.

So once the waves stopped, PG jumped in and got his fishy on.

And then the waves started again and Whit convinced him to try it out inside of a tube,

He then got sick of riding on top of the waves and finally decided to just jump right in.

He then embraced those swells.

Can you see Porter?

There he is!

And yes, Wyatt-Boy got to splash in the water too, but when he was in the water, so was I.  Thus, no pics of him enjoying the wet fun.  Here's a shot of him enjoying his towell-tent I built him while he nursed his bottle:

As you can imagine, it was a little hot in there.  Right after this pic I pulled him out and we went and stuck our toes in the waves.

P.S.  Whitney:  I told you I wouldn't post any of the pics of you!  I do, however, still have them.  So be very careful what pics you post of me.

Fun with Art

The stars aligned this past weekend and the girls actually had an early release day from school on one of Orrin's days off.

I took this as a sign for us to reactivate our "Family-Fun Day".  You know, for this week.

Anyway, I go this app for my iTouch (no, I am not cool enough to have an iPhone, so I suffer in silence with the Touch) called Phoenix for Families.  I highly recommend this baby.  It has everything in this state that you could possibly want to do with your kiddos on there with a short description on what it is, the price, the map of the location... everything.

I started flipping through it to find something for us all to do.  Orrin, ever the tightwad, says, "Why don't we do something free?"

I eye him over my screen.  "Like what exactly?"

"Let's go for a hike."

"Sure, let's take our 8 month old son out in 110 plus weather for an exciting hike. Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will get heatstroke."  I am a very sarcastic person.


He rolled his eyes, grabbed the dohickey from me and found the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa.

*You will have to forgive the horrible pics.  I love my camera in natural light settings, but in a dim building the pictures end up a little disappointing.*

Yes people.  That is a giant Lite-Brite.  I could have stayed right there for hours.

But then we would have missed the Charlie Brown art displays

By displays I mean totally interactive activities for the kiddos and a few interesting things up on the walls for Mom and Dad.

Here's Pipes making a rubbing of good ole Snoopy.

Porter's action shot of trying to get the ball into the mitt (he was about as good as Charlie Brown).

There was a room set-up just like Charlie Brown's  living room complete with a TV, a fireplace that blew up orange paper, Snoopy's typewriter and a couch.  Oh, did I mention the Snoopy costumes?

Whitney, I can see you cringing at these pics right now.

No worries, Orrin checked them all for head lice after I was done with my picture snapping.

Porter impersonating his sister's usual pose

They made these masks then went into a black-light room that had scenes from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown painted on the walls.

Did you know that highlighters light up in black light?  I learned something at the museum!

Wyatt mostly chilled in the stroller.

Piper got to try out drawing on an easel,

and Adi spun around in the Ikea chairs.

 There was even a sea-scape painting section.

There were so many other things there too that I just didn't have enough time to take pictures of.  The kiddos have a tendency of scattering when they are allowed to roam in settings such as these, so I spent most of the time trying get them back together.

It cost $7 a person.  And the kids are already planning our next trip there when the Warner Brothers stuff is put in next month.

I do believe that I'm in love

With One Charming Party.

This is a website where they list ideas for parties and holidays.  And they are the bestest ideas ever.  Oh yes, they are that good.  The wannabe party planner inside of me is simply giggling over all the ideas I've come across while obsessively searching their archives.

Halloween centerpiece.  Oh yes.

Look at these Valentines Gumball Necklaces.  Made with gumballs.  Seriously.

Or total instructions on how to throw the bestest Gingerbread House Making Party.

They even have recipes for brown sugar glue to hold it together and how to cut graham crackers so they have peaked roofs.

There are even Thanksgiving games for the kiddos.

Don't even get me started on their birthday party ideas.

You will simply die of cuteness overload.

How about this Wizard of Oz party?

To. Die. For.

So get one this site, click around and get to planning Halloween.  Or Thanksgiving.  Or Christmas.


Or just be like me an pin everything onto your Pinterest so you can plan everything at once!

Keep in mind that some party details are sold in their store, but a lot of them are on there.  And even the ones you're supposed to buy have enough pictures that you can wing it.

Have fun!

The Scriptures

Every morning around these parts we do a little of this together:

But it usually looks more like this: 

and this:

 

But everyone is required to read aloud just one verse,

(Porter's is said quietly to him and he repeats it louder)

Yes, it's hard sometimes. Especially when we're running around, trying to get everyone and everything ready for school before we have to be out-the-door at 7:27 (oh yes, I have it timed out exactly).


But it is so worth it. I feel like my kiddos are sent out into this world a bit more prepared, a bit more protected.

Plus, I love hearing Porter retell the story of Nephi relieving Laban of his head.

Where is little Tank while we're doing this?  Usually rolling around on the floor playing in his lil' toy basket.

And yes, I made my kids pose for these after we read on Saturday :)

Pre-preteen

Everyone likes cruising around in Daddy's truck.  Not because it's awesome, but because it only seats five peeps total, so if all the kids go with one of the parents, someone gets to sit in the front seat (no airbags, of course).

I dragged all the kiddos with me to pick up a crib the other day, and, after getting ourselves some dollar menu nuggets and fries (thank you Wendys.  How would I feed me brood on-the-go without you?), we set off into Mesa.

Now, for the next part of the story, you have to know that I believe in that old saying, "Music calms the angry beast."  Meaning, I turn on music in the car.  I turn it up and, as long as I don't play any church music ("It's not Sunday Mom!") my kids stay quiet, they usually don't fight, and I avoid one of those headaches that start down in my neck.

I tell you all of this so you know why I didn't notice for a week that Adi had taken a series of photos on my phone.  of herself.  with chicken nuggets.  sitting next to me.

In all honesty, I blame the moments she sneaks up behind me when I'm perusing Facebook.  Or society.  Or the Disney Channel.   Anyone but me (honestly, can you see me doing this?).

These are only a selection of the photos she left me on my phone. 

I look at these and think *gasp*, "She's knocking on the preteen years, which means she's almost a teen,  which means my life is going to get drastically more difficult."

Which means I should probably get off the computer and go play with my little girl while she's still interested in hanging with me.

Adjustments

No, they're not for sale.

They are mine, all mine.  Well, and Orrin's too. 

There's been a bit of a hole in our days since these sassy girls have left us to venture into the world of higher learning (thank you, Charter School!).  Porter and I are shuffling activities around, trying to figure out how to fill the hours until our pony-tailed buddies get back home  and Mr. Wyatt is wondering why he doesn't have a gaggle of servants run to him whenever he squeaks. 

But we are adjusting, and I am no longer getting teary-eyed when I come across one of the girls' lipglosses.  Until Orrin pointed out that in one short year I'll be dropping off three children at school and how will I then fill my day?

I answered him by bursting into tears. 

I can still blame these emotions on postpartum, right?

Orrin then tried to make me feel better by reminding me that in five years, I'll get to have the days all to myself and I'll be able to go back to school, take art classes, or just plain lay around if I want to.

He's lucky that I was buried under a (rather large) pile of laundry, or he might have been sporting a black eye at work later.

One more, I promise...

We all know that I am waaaay too into birthdays, so you will excuse me if I post once more about Pipes?

Thank you.

Here is what my Pipes found sitting in the living room when she woke up on her actual birthday:

And she was so excited that she begged to ride it before we left for school. 

Miss Pips wanted these Cookies and Cream Cupcakes,  I tried my best, Bakerella.

Yes, I completely missed the blowing-out-her-candle action shot. 

Shame on me.

I had to post this last pic of Piper reading to Wyatt.  Orrin snapped it a few nights ago (and even though it has Porter's hair down in the corner) and I wanted to show what a real sweetie my girl is.

Isn't she lovely?

Ah, Pipes.



Look how she's grown. She is amazing, this little girl of mine. I tell her that she has a magic smile 'cause when she smiles at you, you can't help but grin back.



I bet you smiled at that picture, right?

Piper is my little girl of opposites. She is so girly that it's pathetic. If there is something pink and glittery anywhere in a room, no matter how small, Piper will find it. She loves wearing dresses, skirts, make-up, jewelery (she accessorizes for bed), high-heeled shoes and feathery headbands. Her favorite activity is playing barbies or painting her nails, and she loves watching all the girly shows she can find on Netflix.



But she's also my little daredevil. She watched her sister wreck on the motorcycle and she still demanded Orrin to teach her how to ride. She climbs the backyard tree until the branches begin to sway with her weight and her mommy screams for her to get down. She builds slides out of blankets from her top bunk down to the ground. She wipes out on her rollerblades and stands up with blood streaming down from her knees and a smile on her face and convinces me that she's fine to skate for just a minute more.



Piper loves her brothers. We call her Little Mama around this house. She is the first person to run to Wyatt when he blubbers and always loves Porter better when his feelings get hurt. She includes everyone in her games and demands fairness and justice.

And yet she swears that she isn't going to be a Mom.

Because the vacuuming is too hard.




This little lady loves to dance. And to sing. And most especially to dance and sing. Especially if there is a reflective surface in front of her. Or sometimes if Mom hooks her camera to the T.V. and starts recording... well she could spend her entire day performing to an audience of just herself.



She loves playing video games. Any kind of video game. If my iTouch goes missing, I know who exactly is hidden under her covers in bed trying to beat just one more level of Angry Birds. And if I'm looking for a really good punishment, I confiscate her Nintendo DS. She will do just about anything to keep that thing in her possession.




Piper isn't always sunshine and daisies. She has her moments. As seen here, when she just plain didn't like the poses I was trying to get her to do. Or if Adi wants to read a book instead of play with her. Or I make her redo her chores because she rushed through cleaning the bathroom and left toothpaste in the sink.

Pips will only do something if she thinks that she should. As long as she sees the logic in it, she'll do it, no matter how much she may hate it. But if she can't find a suitable purpose... well, it's time for mommy to take a time-out, 'cause it often turns into Battle of the Wills.



Little Miss Piper Pauline is wonderful. I am eagerly watching my Pink Daredevil morph into a compassionate, intelligent young woman. What a mighty young lady she is on her way to be!




Happy 7th birthday, my Piper Pauline.

Oh, and please stop growing up.