Evelyn and her "evil ways"

Evelyn saw the recent post dedicated to Jilly, and she wanted to title this one, "Evelyn's EVIL WAYS. Muahahaha!" She also thinks that vampires are cool, ghosts roam our house, and she enjoys being scared of things (even if it drives me a little nuts). She really is the antithesis of evil though (except for that one time where she told Gordon that the shadows in his room are scary and now he doesn't want to sleep in his bed or be caught alone any where in the house. (She told me to add that by the way).)

I am really enjoying the stage she is in right now. She's happy to take on more responsibility if I ask her to help Gordon or Angelina with something, and is always eager to help in the kitchen. The help is actually helpful now, no longer a messy hindrance. She's no longer afraid to turn the bathtub faucet on, run down to the playground by herself to fetch something we left behind, etc. I guess her budding sense of independence is endearing to me.

This is not to say she doesn't have her rough moments either - like afternoon-long runs where everything in the world is negative and she refuses to be grateful for much of anything. These are times where anyone near our apartment can probably hear, "You'd better take your garbage attitude and flush it down the toilet! I don't want to hear another word about how things are so terrible for you!!" There were a few weeks earlier this fall when this was almost a daily occurrence, and she and I were at odds a lot of the time.

Teenage years. I do not look forward to them for this reason. Evelyn and I share quite a few personality traits, so we can butt heads really hard. This is when it's good to have a husband to step in (especially in the morning before school). Her and Ben have almost always gotten along great, their personalities complement one another, so he can usually reason with her when I've failed. I fulfill the same role with Jillian.

Evelyn asks many thought provoking questions, often times about the gospel, or things she sees going on in the world or among her friends at school. The time after dinner has become one of my favorite times of day because we get to talk about really neat and interesting things, and I get to share my testimony of the gospel with my girls. One of my fondest childhood experiences were the talks my Dad and I (sometimes my mom too) shared when much of the family had gone to bed, and we would talk about anything. I hope my girls can remember sharing the same type of experience with me.

She has a talent for music - which will become more apparent if I can get her to practice the piano. Like the rest of us, she loves The Killers.

She has a definite love of learning about things in the natural world - weather, volcanoes, earthquakes, and often asks me to help her look up something on the computer so she can figure out what it looks like and why it happens. I am grateful for the Internet so I can satisfy her curiosity while she's hungry for the knowledge, instead of having to wait until the next library day so she could check out a book on the subject. She loves books about fairies and fantasy stuff too, like most other girls her age do. She likes the "Rainbow Magic" series right now.

Evelyn is the brother Gordon doesn't have - he gets all wound up when she comes home from school because he knows she will squish and wrestle him. He loves it.

She asked a few weeks ago when she'd get her own cell phone - I told her not until she's at least 16. She looked a bit bummed, but not many of her friends have cell phones either, so she's not too worried about it yet. She likes to get on my out-dated phone and play a game called 'Diner Dash,' and send text messages to family members. Once in a while I can convince her to call someone, usually Daddy.

I love my Evelyn and the role she plays as "Mom #1." As her teacher Mrs. Tonooka said, she's a kind and conscientious young lady!

Grandma Chickens House

 We made it to Idaho after an 11 hour drive through the middle of nowhere Nevada. It wasn't a bad drive, and only one mishap of Gordon peeing on his car seat toward the end. Thunderstorms helped break up the endless expanse of desert. 

 A favorite story book Grandma keeps at her house. 

 It was around 100 degrees most of the time we were here, with Ben venturing out in the heat of the day. On this particular ride, he didn't make it far. It was just way too hot. 

 Trying out Grandpa's guitar. 

 Thank goodness Grandpa and Grandma bought this pool for everyone to play in. The kids were in it almost everyday. It was as good as swimming lessons, considering how comfortable all the kids got in the water. The girls were going underwater, and Evelyn is doing a pretty good doggie-paddle. 

 Grandma found some flashy fabric scraps and the girls created their own dresses with them. 

 Grandma bought tickets for us all to attend the Starlight Mountain Theater, where we saw a production of Roger and Hammertstein's "Cinderella." Here's the Fairy Godmother. 

 Here is Cinderella. During the intermission, you could pay a small fee and have a ride in Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. The girls were in awe when meeting the actors. Jilly's favorite actress was one of the stepsisters. We all had a good time, and didn't get eaten alive by mosquitoes. One memorable moment of the outdoor play was a bald eagle flying over the stage with a small sparrow or other fierce little bird chasing the eagle off. Gordon's favorite parts were the musical portions with lots of actors moving across the stage. Otherwise, we had to keep re-directing his attention. 

 Evelyn's birthday occurred during our stay, and she requested a Brazilian dinner of feijoada (black beans and rice) and pao de queijo (cheesebread). 

 She also wanted eclair torte for her cake. 

Evelyn asked for science/chemistry kits for her birthday, and was excited to see this one. 

 While I was putting Gordon to bed, the girls thought they'd take care of the last piece of eclair torte. I guess it's more fun sucking the pudding off the base and eating with your fingers. 

 Grandpa Chickens likes making homemade soap, so that's what we did the last few days of our stay. It was a cool process. I chose a citrus blend for my soap, and it turned out really well. 

 Smoothing out the soap mold. 

 We visited some old friends who live in the mountains north of Grandma and Grandpa, around Lake Cascade. It was hot enough to do some swimming. 

 There were little minnows swimming in schools near the shore, and Gordon and Jilly had fun chasing them. The bigger kids headed out to the edge of the marked swim area. 

Jilly's my sunbather. 

Gordon was in heaven with all the dress-up stuff 'Tank' had. 

Thanks for letting us crash your afternoon! 

Other memories: The kids gathering the eggs out of the chicken house every day and feeding the chickens food scraps, eating dinner with the Gurneys (why did I not take a picture?), and hanging out with Uncle Nate, Aunt Chelle, and their chihuahuas. We also spent time helping get the garage cleared out. 

Father's Day Newspaper Project: My Dad Rules!

Ben is in Mexico and gone this Father's Day. We had carne asada tacos the night before he left. This post was a project Evelyn completed last week in school. There was a hand-drawn picture of Ben on each page doing some activity, and a sentence or list as well. I would have just scanned it, but the printer's not complying and it's eight pages long. So here it is, in all it's 1st grade-edited glory.


Dear Dad,
Thank you for letting me do fun things. I love you so.so.so.so.so.so much. Love, Evelyn

Top 10 Things About My Dad
10. Kisses my Mom alot 9. love his bike 8. loves junk food 7. really funny 6. nice to family 5. goes t gradschool 4. teaches us things 3. lots of hugs 2. tickles me 1. loves my family

Dad, you rule because...you are the biggest one in the house.

Dad, thank you for...careing for me

Dad, It is funny when you....make me do a lift on that thing you pull your self upon. (He's got a pull-up bar he helps the kids with sometimes)

Dad, I appreciate....that you love me.

Dad, Someday we should....move!!! get out of grad school Dude!!!!

Dad, You work really hard to....finish your homework.

Dad, I think you are out of this world....because I love you

(Picture of a giant red heart on the back)

The things they say...

Me: Gordon, why is your shirt all wet?
Him: Because i' was raining on my shirt.

Our fire alarm went off on a Sunday afternoon in January when we were all changing our clothes after church, so we hauled Gordon and Jilly out in blankets. Gordon was totally traumatized. (Our fire alarms are louder than any fire alarm out there. They could wake the dead). Now whenever he hears an alarm-type noise, he'll ask if it's a fire alarm. It's also a topic of choice for him to discuss with whoever will listen.

He also likes to talk about In 'n' Out. He'll say, "I wan' two double-doubles and fries. Wid ketchup." He randomly threw this out one day in December, not long after our friend Ed had stayed with us. We had eaten at In 'n' Out with Ed one night and he had ordered two double-doubles. I guess Gordon was really impressed by that or something.

During one of my piano lessons with a student named Nate (same age as Evelyn).
Evelyn: Mom, I have something to discuss with you.
Me: Uh, discuss with me? (I was giggling at her very grown-up choice of words).
Nate (looking incredulous): What six-year old uses the word "discuss"?

Today, taking down all the Christmas cards and pictures.
Evelyn: Mom, why are you taking down all the pictures?
Me: Because.
Evelyn: "Because" is not an excuse, Mom.
Me: Um, it was time to take them down.
Evelyn: Why is it time to take them down?
Me: Uh...

Jilly is locked into the, "Why (enter question here)?" phase. She's just trying to figure out why we all do what we do. "Mom, what is this big box (my hope chest) for? Is that our quilt? Why are you folding it up that way? (So it fits in the chest). When did you make it? (This summer at Grandma's). Was that when I was two? Or when I was five? (When you were four.) How did you do it? Did Daddy make this little clock when he was little? How did he make it? Why is there a crack in it? Is this Evelyn's book? How did she make all the pictures? And on and on and on...

As I'm finishing this post.
Evelyn: Mom.....Mom.....Mom....You need to read my homework.......Mom.....Mom....Mo-om! Is your brain broken? You need to read it.
Me: "Is my brain broken?"
Evelyn: Laughing and laughing.

And it's July

I finished summer block (phew!), and along with a month chock-full of craziness, we were able to take some needed time off. Some pictures from this crazy last month. 

 On the 4th of July, we BBQ'd with some friends whose daughter (the same age as Ev), had recently learned to ride her bike without training wheels, and brought the bike to the BBQ. While we were eating and chatting, Ev was teaching herself to ride that bike. She taught herself, and spent the week before we left practicing all the time. I removed Jilly's training wheels at her request, but she is going to need a bit more practice!

 One hot, humid day at the beach. Ev's missing quite a few teeth right now. 

 This boy is enjoying throwing just about anything. 

 Ev celebrated her birthday right before vacation, she wanted to have a dress-up tea party with some of her girlfriends. We had a little tea party, painted nails, and made crafts. I think they had fun. 

Now if I could only hire someone to follow me around and take pictures. Or get me a way more awesome camera.

Random Dinner Conversation

This was dinner a few Sundays ago.

Here are quotes from tonight's dinner conversation. We had homemade Macaroni and Cheese, chicken nuggets, and steamed broccoli. Or in Gordon's language, noo-noos, co-kies, and bok-ee.

Evelyn: When are you going to be a real mom?
Me: What do you mean? I thought a was real mom. (I'm expecting a response about when we'll have another baby) What's going to make me a real mom?
Evelyn: When you eat all different sorts of things, like cottage cheese and tapioca pudding. Like Daddy. He's the eater-dad.

Gordon had just dumped the last of his dinner on the floor.
Me: Gordon!
Jill: Mom, don't get so mad. Gordon doesn't know anything.
This was funny because I say nearly the exact same thing to her at least once a day.

Evelyn: What comes at the end of your thought? A polka-dot! Hahahaha!

Jill: Mom, I like mushrooms, sooo much. I will eat the whole mushroom store!
Evelyn: I will eat aaalll the junk food!
Jill: I don't think that's a good idea!

Our friends Cody and Karina had a baby today.
Evelyn: Why did Cody and Karina want to have kids?
Me: Why do you think Mommy and Daddy had you guys?
Evelyn: Umm, because kids are cute...so Moms and Dads don't have to be by themselves...so the parents can stay in their house forever... so the kids can learn ...so the kids can help decorating ...so the parents don't have to do it by themselves ...so they can have a big family together forever.

Jill: Why do you have a ghost sigaling(?) through the house?
Me: What?

First Day of School

 Waiting in line. It was a long wait that first day, she got kind of impatient! 

We got the bus pass a few days later. Riding the bus was the thing she was most excited about with the onset of kindergarten. When I picked her up from school on the first day, I got an earful and then some from her sweet little mouth. She thought for sure she belonged in the "bus line" when it was time to go home, not the "pick-up" line, and when her teacher told her to get in the "pick-up" line, she was hopping mad. It will be a funny story for me to remember when she's older. 

Happy Birthday Ev!

Our Ev turned five last week, and we had most of Ben's side of the family here for it. It was a lot of fun to see everyone. All her presents (except for a soccer ball) were for school. She made bank in the clothing department (thanks everyone!), and really enjoys modeling them. She is so excited to go to school in September. 

3 weeks before her birthday, I asked her what kind of cake she would like. She told me, "Strawberry ice cream cake." After much clarification, I figured out she wanted strawberry ice cream, in cake form. I've never made an ice cream cake, so this concoction turned out well considering that. It had a golden Oreo crust, one layer of strawberry ice cream (Breyer's), a layer of sliced pound cake smeared with strawberry jam, and then another layer of strawberry ice cream and crushed Oreos and sliced strawberries on top. It was a hit, and I will be making it again. 

Evelyn is 3!!!!!

Oh, how time flies. Once Evelyn used to be my sweet, gurgling baby. Now she is my rather tall 3 year old, who wants to prance around in princess clothes all day, and do her version of ballroom dancing. It's really just spinning around in circles...maybe dancing will be this winter's activity....

Here she is when she saw her little surprise after she woke up. We've been telling her for 2 months it would be her birthday next. And she was excited!

She got Anastasia from Uncle Nate and Aunt Michelle, a movie she fell in love with at my parent's house.
After breakfast, she rode the bus with Ben to school. This may have been the best part of the day in her opinion. At BYU, Ben bought balloons for her, she picked blue, and they ate doughnuts at Sugar 'n' Spice. Even at her early age, she is a devoted doughnut fan.
We invited our friends from the ward to a little birthday party (thanks for coming!). I made her a little tower of cupcakes. I've yet to make an actual cake for her birthday, I like making cupcakes better I guess. It turned out much better than originally planned, thanks to a book called "Hello, Cupcake!" A very cool reference and idea book for the cupcake fan.
I made her a "Belle" dress for her birthday, she also liked watching Beauty and the Beast out in Washington. Now I get to take her to the store and she'll pick out buttons, ribbons, etc. to put on it.
I found this gift on clearance, it's a storybook pillow of Princess Aurora, Jasmine, and Belle. It open and closes like a book, but is soft. She threw her regular pillow off her bed that night and slept on the book. It didn't work too well, the book is rather small for a pillow. Can you see Jilly's look of envy?
The last gift of the night was from Grandma Cluff, a Sleeping Beauty dress (or Sweeping Booty in Evelynese). I asked for a large size (6 to be exact) ensuring it won't get too small any time soon. The Cinderella dress Jill's got on was Ev's gift last year, and she promptly outgrew it in about 3 months. Now they can both be princesses, and they put on thier crowns, and shoes, and walk all over the house saying, "Mommy, I wanna dance!" I'm teaching them to dance with each other. They usually end up bored or knocking each other over. Must be all that tulle.

This picture is for my family. Does it look familiar? Evelyn's first ice cream cone. She knew how to lick the ice cream, but wasn't so sure about the cone. To let you in on a little joke, I have a picture like this of myself, except I was six and sticking my tongue as far as humanly possible down the cone to get the ice cream out. I didn't like to eat the cone, I just liked my ice cream in it.
And congratulations to Jill, she has graduated from the little red babydoll stroller to the larger green babydoll stroller. Splendid.