. . . the hill won.

Those are the worst two; she also has road rash down her entire left thigh, left elbow, right forearm, and the palms of her hands. She told Daddy that she went “sledding, but without the sled.” That was a very big hill and a very big crash!

Momma’s towing and ambulance service. (My legs were burning by the time I got all that home!)

I have said in the past that Raine is one tough cookie . . . not any more! Don’t get me wrong, it was a horrible crash with some really nasty injuries, but there has been no end to the whining the past two days. Maybe it’s just the big things like broken arms and split chins that she handles well! I’d rather not test that hypothesis. At least her silliness wasn’t injured!

I never cease to be amazed by the imaginations these two kids have! The past few weeks their creativity has been in over-drive — the pictures on my camera don’t even capture half of it.

The stuffed animals around here never have a dull day, especially “Cocoa” the dog — bows on both ears, a sequined gown, bracelets, earrings, this dog has it all!

On the 20th, Raine decided to be a kitty. I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day when she came in and announced her plan. She asked me to draw whiskers on her face and then went off to make some kitty ears, which she subsequently taped to her forehead.

The 25th was crown day. She whipped up these two beauties in a matter of minutes and they wore them on their adventures as the Princess and Prince of Deweydom!

The inspiration for these crowns came from Cousin Alexa, who we visited on our whirlwind trip down to Houston the 18th and 19th.

Raine’s favorite color has changed from pink to purple recently and she has been desiring a new crown to match her new favorite color. Fortunately for her, this summer she has the coolest nanny in the world! Savannah brought her a sparkly purple crown for their craft one day and it has been on her head ever since!

Not to be outdone, Carter has a new passion in life as well . . . swim goggles! This was the scene at dinner the other night: Raine with her sparkly purple princess crown on one side of the table (above) and Carter with his swim goggles on another side.

We went to the water park on the 27th where Carter tried out his goggles (which were really Daddy’s goggles and so didn’t fit hardly at all) and he was IN HEAVEN!! I took a shower after we got home and this is the scene I was greeted with as I exited the bathroom; apparently he didn’t get enough “splashing” at the pool!

Yes, these are definitely going into the “First-date Scrapbook”!!

Of course, this is how it ended! It was so ridiculously hilarious to watch that I couldn’t bring myself to stop the insanity before he got hurt, all I could do was take pictures. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t serious and he was back to his crazy self in no time.

I can’t image where the kids get their crazy climbing/jumping ideas from . . . certainly not from their parents!

Allow me to rant here for a moment before this next photo: I am not a fan of the princess movement. I have been avoiding and discouraging it for Raine’s entire life. But, the inevitable has finally caught up with us and Raine is embracing it whole-heartedly. I want her to be able to express herself however she sees fit, but I have decided to only allow princesses into my home that meet my standards. For example, everything from dress-up and dolls to toothpaste and band-aids come in a princess variety, but I refuse to buy anything that features an immodest princess. Raine is quite proficient at spotting anything immodest and agreeing that we don’t want it.

One thing that I’m having a hard time with are the dress-up gowns. Raine loves to dress-up and I firmly believe that it fosters her growth and development to do it . . . but none of the princess dress-up clothes are modest by themselves. Obviously, Raine would have clothes on under them, making them modest, but I still would rather not even go there. For now, Raine is using one of the dance outfits that Savannah gave her. It is equally (if not more) immodest than the commercial princess gowns, but since we already have it in the box I haven’t bothered fighting it.

Raine insisted on wearing her “Princess Rapunzel” dress to the restaurant the other night. Daddy tried to tell her no, but he obviously didn’t succeed. The jury is still out on whether or not this is a battle worth fighting!

When Raine gets a creative idea in her head, she will not stop until she has given it life. Today, she came home from church and insisted on making a wagon. There was no putting her off or talking her into doing something else. She had an idea and wasn’t going to stop, or let you do anything else, until that idea was a tangible reality. I was pretty impressed with her end result, which she loaded with stuffed animals, hitched behind her, and pulled around the house!

Both of these kids’ creativity amazes me. There is no doubt that they inherited it from Grandma Dewey’s side of the family — I believe Grandma Gabbott is the most creative person I know — so all I can do is sit back and be amazed. I provide the tools for them but they supply all the ideas, it is a fun experience for me to be a part of!

May 21, 2013
Saturday night the missionaries were over for dinner and I mentioned that President Monson’s wife had passed away the day before. Tonight, out of the blue, Raine asked: “Why did President Monson’s wife pass away?”
I explained that she was really old and that when people are really old they get sick a lot more and eventually Heavenly Father decides He wants them back and they go to live in heaven, like Grandma Nana.
Raine: “Where’s the ramp?”
Me: “The ramp?”
Raine: “Where’s the ramp to heaven?”
Me: “You mean like an exit ramp?”
Raine, mildly annoyed by my inability to understand such a simple question: “Yeah. Where is the exit ramp to heaven?”
Me, racking my brain to come up with something: “Um, I don’t know. I’ve never been there!”
Raine: “Yes you have.
Me: “When? I haven’t died.”
Raine: “Before you came to earth.”
Me: “Oh, you’re right. But I don’t remember. Do you remember?”
Raine: “No. I don’t remember.”

After sleeping in braids, Raine told me that I could call her “Curly Curly”!

May 26, 2013
Carter was making mean noises at Raine so to put an end to it Daddy asked: “Carty, are you being a mean bear? Do you need to go outside?” [Being banished outside is the punishment for being mean.]
Carter: “No. I’m being a mean chicken. Mean chickens don’t need to go outside.”

Later that day
We were sitting down to eat dinner and Carter was in his chair just singing away. We told him to be quiet for the prayer and he quietly folded his arms and bowed his head. As soon as Daddy started praying Carter started singing in the quietest voice possible, “Have you ever been a fishin’ on a bwight an sunny day…” I shushed him but he just kept singing. When Daddy finished, we got after Carter for singing during the prayer.
His response: “I wasn’t singing.”
Me: “Yes, you were singing.”
Carter, with a very convincing I’ve-been-wrongly-accused face: “Only a little bit.”

May 28, 2013
Raine: “Mom guess what. We saw a rabbit when we were playing cars!”
Me: “Oh yeah? A real rabbit?”
Raine: “Yeah, a real one.”
Carter, clarifying: “Yeah, but not the Easter rabbit, a different one.”

June 3, 2013
Carter came into our room in the wee-morning hours. After DJ took him potty, he snuggled up next to me on the pillow. Then, in an almost imperceptibly quiet voice, he started singing: “Old McDonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o. And on his farm he had a shark, e-i-e-i-o.”

I came in to find my computer on the floor and this little monkey “working” in my place! (He found an old-school keyboard in a corner somewhere and propped up his Fisher-price laptop on my desk, then he got frustrated that his computer didn’t recognize the letters he was typing on the remote keyboard!)

Later that morning
Raine: “Mom, I don’t want my birthday to be in September. Sometimes I’m going to want my birthday party at the pool, so I don’t want my birthday in September.”

Raine loves creating patterns!

June 4, 2013
Carter was climbing on Daddy this morning and poked his stomach asking: “What are these lumpy things?”
Daddy: “Those are the muscles in my rock-hard abs!”
Carter, pointing out Daddy’s abs to me: “Muscles!”
Me: “Raine do you have any rock-hard stomach muscles?”
Raine: “No.”
Me: “What do you have?”
Raine, pinching some chub with a little grin: “Pumpkin pie!!”
Carter, pinching his own little chubs: “Pumpkin pie!!”
Me: “What does mommy have?” (fulling expecting them to say “Muscles!”)
Carter: “Pumpkin pie!!!”

June 5 – Whole Foods had a Brazilian festival so we stopped by to get some ingredients for an ethnic feast.

Trying the star fruit

June 7, 2013
Me to Carter: “Come here baby.”
Carter: “I’m not a baby.”
Me: “You’re not a baby? What are you?”
Carter: “I am just Rah-Rah’s little brother.” [This is his response any time you ask him who/what he is. He thinks the world of his big sister! ]
Me: “How come you’re not my baby?”
Carter: “Because I am your snuggle buddy.”

Working from home can be such a messy proposition. If they aren’t interrupting phone calls with comments about bowel movements, they are systematically emptying the playroom!

June 10, 2013
We were walking down an aisle at Home Depot, searching for garage door openers, when Carter yells: “I saw a cowboy!”
I glanced over to see a man wearing a cowboy hat passing us in the aisle — he did not look amused!

June 11, 2013
Daddy to Raine as they got ready for bed: “Raine you need to go potty.”
Raine: “No. I already went. ”
Daddy, doubtful: “Are you sure? How long ago?”
Raine: “Just now. I didn’t flush the potty. See look!”

June 11, 2013
Carter was complaining about his tummy hurting and, after noticing his muffin-top, Daddy suggested that taking off his shorts might help.
Carter, a few minutes later, with a very concerned look on his face: “Daddy, I want to put my shorts back on. It’s not modest.”

June 13, 2013
As we drove home, Daddy and I were talking about going to the fireworks Saturday night and then remembered that we signed up to feed the missionaries the same night. Raine piped up from the back seat: “So, maybe they can just not do the scripture so we can go to the fireworks.” [That girl has a solution for everything!]

June 15, 2013
We were getting ready to go swimming after dinner and I told Carter that he didn’t need to wear his hat since it wasn’t sunny. With a very concerned look on his face he responded: “My head will not be modest. I do have to wear my hat so my head will be modest.”

And finally, a few parent-isms — actual sentences that you have to put together and aim at another member of our species (as Brian Regan says):
– “If you stick your face in my bum one more time there is gonna be trouble!”
– “We do NOT scratch our heads with our feet at the dinner table!”
– “No more strawberries until you eat your french-fries.”
– “No son, you may not wear a tutu to the grocery store.”

It is hard to believe that Raine is heading to Kindergarten in a little over two months! Last Thursday was her last day at St. Philip’s Preschool. She has loved attending school here the past four years and it has helped her grow and develop in many fabulous ways. Her teachers have loved her and made her feel like she was the most special girl on the planet. They fulfilled her need for structure, as well as her insatiable desire to make crafts!

Here is Raine on her first day of school, September 2, 2009, with Ms. Rae Ann.

Here is Raine on her last day with her teachers, Ms. Lenise and Ms. Terry.

Here are Raine and Carter with Ms. Cindy, the Director:

Yesterday was our Primary Temple Trip. The weather cooperated as well as can be expected the end of May. We started in the temple lobby, sitting on the steps across from the recommend desk. One of the Assistant Matrons talked to the kids about the temple and why it is so special. Then the kids sang Families Can Be Together Forever and I Love to See the Temple — this was the best part of the trip! Those little voices singing about going to the temple and living with their family forever is such a sweet reminder of what is most important in this life.

We took a walking tour around the outside of the building — which ended abruptly when we came within view of the water fountains!

We tried to get a family picture after the tour but it was windy and the kids were tired!

Thursday was the Spring music program at Raine and Carter’s preschool. Each class performed two songs. Carter’s class did The Wheels on the Bus and The Wheels on the Bus Rap. You don’t need a video to see Carter’s performance — a still-shot was sufficient to capture all the actions he did!

Raine’s class did Have you Ever Been Fishin’ and Let Me See You Boogaloo. The video below shows her performance.

Raine had her first ballet performance yesterday! It was not a recital — they didn’t have to buy a special outfit, just wear either pink or black. Each of the dance classes at the Hurst Rec had a time allotted to perform a dance they worked on this spring.

Raine has been on-again-off-again excited about ballet the last couple months. She tells me that she likes the goof-off time and I get the impression that the rest of it is just a little too slow-paced for her preferred dance style! (She saw the hip-hop performance and asked how she could get into THAT class!)

There she is in the program!

Here is the entire dance:

Being a mother is such a glamorous job!

But then of course there are those days that start off like this:

After taking a shower, you walk out to find your two-year-old getting himself some breakfast. The only problem is that he was in the middle of playing “doggy” when he got hungry and didn’t want to break character.

No problem. You just tell him to clean it up and sit at the table to eat.

Except . . . “at” was heard as “on” so when you come out to check on his progress you don’t quite find what you were hoping for.

Whatever. You pick your battles — at least it’s healthy.

You go back in to brush your teeth . . . but soon notice a little something behind you in the mirror. (Apparently, eating like a dog can cause some problems when you have a runny nose!)

No problem. You get him cleaned up and head out to face the day.

Hmmmm, apparently we need to work on his cleaning skills. Well, at least he tried.

You head out to run errands. But being the fabulous mother that you are, you stop at the playground first.

Next, you head to the store. But everyone is hungry so you stop to grab some food on the way. Unfortunately, monkey #2 has not quite mastered the physics of straws in non-airtight cups and ends up wearing some of his chocolate milk.

No problem. You very glamorously pull his spare underpants out of your purse and help him get dried off.

After maneuvering a grocery cart, with a giant plastic car attached to the front end, through the aisles of the store, you pay for your goods and head home.

Soon enough, you’re engaged in a game of “What if I put my sticker on my _______!?!!”

And, of course, it is such a fun game that everyone joins in.

Once all major body parts have been sufficiently “stuck,” the dirt calls and the kids go out to cover themselves in it.

After stripping off their dirt-covered clothes and spraying them down with the hose, they are allowed back into your house for a drink.

Yes, being a mother truly is a glamorous job. That’s why you receive so many flowers for doing it!

Here is what my kids think of their glamorous mother:

A few notes about life of late, as told by the random photos on my camera!

March 29: Lately Raine has been asking what different body parts are for — neck, ankle, etc. Today while she and Carter were putting on their shoes to go outside she asked: “What are your cheeks for?”
I was making up something about them letting your mouth open big when Carter chimed in: “They hold your nose on.”

April 8: This photo documents two facts about Carter: First, he loves cereal. Carter will eat it three meals a day plus snacks if I let him. Second, he is still working on giving up naps, but frequently can’t quite make it. There are two things that always put him to sleep in the late afternoon: (1) riding in the car and (2) eating. On this day, he got hungry before dinner so he helped himself to some cereal . . . but all that chewing put him right to sleep. It’s a good thing he didn’t fall out of his chair since no one was around to see him bob!

Speaking of falling out of his chair . . . a few weeks ago, Carter fell asleep during dinner. DJ took him to the bathroom and set him on the toilet while he went to find pajamas. A few moments later we heard a thud and some whimpering.  Poor little Carty had fallen asleep and tumbled right off the toilet! It was so sad . . . and yet SOOOOO funny!

April 13: Raine really is a budding artist. Her favorite things to draw are people, cats, and butterflies (as seen here). She also likes to draw penguins.

April 14: Carter has turned into “such a boy”! He used to be a real scaredy-cat but now he is jumping off everything in sight and running around like a lunatic.

He wants to be just like Daddy.

April 14: Uh-oh! Here comes the tickle monster! RUN!!!

April 16: Warm spring evenings are perfect for enjoying our new tire swing. Raine loves to “swing crazy” so I knew the tire swing would be the perfect replacement for our out-grown baby swing.

I already mentioned that Carter used to be a scaredy-cat. One of the things that he was scared of was swinging. He would SIT on the swing but heaven forbid it moved at all. Then one day, he wanted to swing and kept telling me to push him higher. I stood there trying to figure out what happened to my little chicken as he gleefully yelled, “Oh what fun it is!” over and over.

April 18: Here they are with Olivia just two days later, trying not to freeze to death. We have had several cold fronts blow through and drop our temps down into the 40’s and 50’s. We go from the high 70’s at noon to the low 50’s in the evening, the kids are having a hard time trying to figure out when to wear shorts!

April 28: Last night I came down with a debilitating head cold. I was teaching Primary today so I had to pull myself together long enough to make it through church. When we got home, I headed straight to bed. The kids were entertaining themselves in the other room until they got hungry. I heard them pulling things out of the pantry for lunch (animal crackers, oreo cookies, frosted mini-wheats) then they sat down to eat.
Raine: “Let’s say a prayer.”
Carter: “Like at school?”
Raine: “Yeah, OK. First, put your hands up like this.”
Carter apparently wasn’t following instructions because Raine continued to tell him to put his hands up. Eventually she continued in a sing-song voice:
“Hands up high, in the sky. Down below, just like so. God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. A-men.”
Ahhhh, parochial school! I hear the Baptists are even more intense than the Presbyterians so it will be interesting to hear what she comes home with next year!