Mamma knows best

Yesterday we played beauty shop at Aunt Colleen's house where Jessica gave London her first perm. In true London fashion, it was anything but boring. I wanted London to tell me the story of the perm in her words but when I asked her what happened all she said was, "I cried." Which is very true and pretty much sums it up. 

Colleen and Nola and Jess and I tried every kind of bribery to keep London happy and occupied while Jessica could wrap her head in the perm rods. Considering London only holds still an average of three minutes at a time, she did really well. 

For me, at least, all the tears and yelling "I hate playing beauty shop! I hate the beauty!", the end results were worth it.

"Porter, I look like a lion now! Rawwwrrhhh!"

I see a lot of Chelsea in this picture.

This experience made me remember when my Aunt Colleen would come over and help my mom wrap me and my sisters hair in perms every summer. Girls, do you remember this? I remember not liking it at all and how happy I was when the rods were finally taken out. My hair felt like it had been replaced with ramen noodles and mom would glow and say how lovely her girls all looked on Sunday morning with our matching curls and bows. Now I understand how mom could spend a whole day wrapping the heads of five weepy girls and a million stinky wet towels. Boy do I love being the mamma now.

P.S. A huge thanks to Jessica, who has proven she can do hair in any situation. And my Aunites Colleen and Nola for knowing just what to do and making two nieces feel really special. And to sweet Meagan, who I used to hold as a baby, for holding my baby.

JUMP!

(This one's for the out-of-towners who haven't seen Daisy's new tricks and toys yet.)

The Jumperoo!

It's pretty much the best thing ever created for baby and momma. She gets going with her teeny tiny feet and we gather around to laugh and cheer.

At the end of the video Daisy is waving hello!

(No, she can't really wave yet. She's actually trying to grab my camera because she wants to eat it but, ya know, it looks like a wave.)

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

I fell into Olen's arms after a late night of catering on Saturday.

I flung my shoes across the family room and recalled the dishwasher not working, not enough place settings for the bridal party and the groom's mom actually telling me to "chop-chop".

"So how was your night? Did Daisy go to sleep ok for you?"

"Well, I need you in a really happy mood before I tell you something."

Any chances of a happy mood have just been recalled by this request.

"No luck. Lemme have it. What happened?"

"Daisy was super fussy and I would get her to sleep and then she would wake up five minutes later. So I thought she was poopy but she wasn't and I left London combing her doll's hair in the family room [I should mention Porter wasn't home. If he was, this would have probably not happened because he would have stopped it.] then I came back in with Daisy and Elle was on the desk with the scissors and the brush and I was too late."

"Too late for what...?"

Then he shows me this:

I burst into tears and I never do that. Olen was in shock, not really what he expected me to do. I explained through my sobs that I had just made an appointment to take London to get her first perm this Thursday. I didn't tell Olen because I wanted to come home and surprise him with London's curly hair. 

"Love, it doesn't look that bad, I promise."

I cried more.

Olen rolled his eye.

Anyways, London twisted the brush into the top back area of her hair and it got stuck so she cut it out. Olen took London down to my sister-in-law's house that does hair for an emergency hair intervention. Olen was more worried about how I would take the new look than what the new look actually would be so he was trying to get things fixed before I got back. 

"Cara said it was too short and thin to make any layers match so she didn't cut it at all. She thought you should look at it first and decide."

"Too short and thin??"

I tip-toe next to London's bed and run my fingers through her hair, a few stray hairs cling to my hands. It was already too late on a really long day to think about this anymore, so I just went to bed.

In the morning London and I had a little chat about scissors while I rocked her and we hugged. Olen was right, it doesn't look that bad. I parted it on the other side and used mousse to scrunch it up for church and that seemed to hide the short and thin parts pretty well so I didn't cancel our hair appointment after all. Besides, it will grow back. Like by the time she's ten.

Easter Start to Finish

The Easter festivities started for us on Thursday. It was such a big weekend and I know you don't want to listen to me go on and on about it. So I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking and drop a line now and then to guide you through.

The Start, Thursday: Okay, this one requires some story-telling. About a month ago Porter had the idea to sell lemonade to the masses of people who would walk by our house to the Easter Pageant. You knew we live in the east-side shadow of the Mesa Temple, right? Olen and I said he could host a lemonade stand from in front of our house and we would buy the cups, sugar, and ice if he picked the lemons off our two trees and juiced them himself. He was so excited and made plans for his "stand" all week. I was worried about how he would do with the customers and serving the drinks and taking money, but then Aubrey came to the rescue lending moral support and giving change.

I set up the stand with Port but couldn't stay because I had Daisy and London alone in the house unsupervised. I walked out to check on how they were doing and they always had a customer or two so I just watched. It was quite a sight; both kids bare foot but in sweater jackets advertising "ice cold" lemonade. Porter was so in to it, I just loved watching him. In fact, after Aubrey had to go home Porter stayed out another hour till the Pageant started selling his homemade lemonade. He would cup his hands around his mouth and holler “Ice cold lemonade! Refills can be free!” I almost died when I was walking out to check on him and heard him yelling this. We had a talk about where we were and where people were going and how yelling may not be the most appropriate selling method this time.

Although I don’t know that it hurt; after Porter paid Olen and me back he still earned over twenty dollars that night. Port said that a few times people would walk by and say “no thanks” to the lemonade but give him one or two dollars anyways. I’m sure being adorable and bare foot on a chilly night had nothing to do with it. Porter wanted to pay Aubrey for her help and give the rest for tithing. "What do I need all this money for? Couldn't it help someone?" How do you tell a kid it's okay to not pay all their money for tithing? I couldn't. I couldn't say anything at all, I was so touched by his faith. Olen said he didn't need to decide right now how he would spend his money and to think about it till tomorrow. In the morning Porter set aside his tithing and is depositing the rest into his mission savings account. That lemonade stand taught Porter more lessons than just how to give change.

Easter Egg Hunt #1

Friday

Reynolds side - Clar and Kristen's house, Laveen, AZ

Grandma Reynolds helps guide London to where the eggs are hiding.

Watching London on these hunts was one of those parent-moments when another layer of your child's personality is revealed. She was such a dedicated hunter and heaven help any one who got in her way. When she felt satisfied with her findings, she was done and would sit wherever she was and start shaking and opening all her favorite eggs.

Porter, of course, is more casual in his approach. He hunted where no one else was and cleared the area in a blink.

Here's something else I learned about London this weekend; she likes boiled eggs but only the yolk. She would bite the egg like an apple, eat out the yolk and spit out any whites and shell. I don't know how she did this. I'm getting goose bumps just remembering it.

So much for this shirt. This was the début and closing call for this number. Yes, I've tried spray-n-wash, I go through gallons of that stuff. Blue Magic may be my last hope. Oh, but this mess represents so much fun, okay, what's one more stained shirt.

Porter hates boiled eggs and candy. He gave everything he found to London. I swear I would have a hundred kids if they were all like this one.

I'm surprised Port let Uncle Houston, Olen's brother, swing him like this. As a baby he would stop breathing and [eventually] cry because he hated heights and spinning. Actually, I'm surprised Houston didn't throw his back out.

Here's Daisy with her younger cousin, Trace, Brawner and Melissa's newest.

Okay, he's only two weeks younger but it makes the story of this picture funner if you don't know that, right?

Daisy found her tongue.

I know, right?! Just when you thought she couldn't get any cuter, she finds a way. My kids are always doing this to me.

Easter Egg Hunt #2

Saturday

 Rollins/Richards side - Usery Pass Park

London was so sweet to take Daisy's basket out for her.

Also - toot-toot! That's me tooting my own horn, because I made London's shirt and one for Daisy just like it. Dressing my daughters the same is a dream come true for me. 

Olen would follow his girls to the end of the earth if asked to. It's one of the reasons I love this man.

Aunt Whitney had the genius idea to place tickets in her eggs that could be redeemed for candy too awesome and big to fit in an egg. Porter is finding his first ticket here. 

Daisy was with me wrapped in her Moby all day so I didn't get any pictures of her except for this one that I just held the camera back and snapped. But I like this one, it shows her soulful eyes so clear and blue.

I don't know how this picture fits in, I didn't take it. It was just on the camera's memory card at this point and made me laugh. This is London - I love it. Smiling so big that her eyes have to sacrifice space on her face to accommodate her mouth. I am starring at this picture and can hear her high-pitch squeal and can't help smiling for my precious Buttercup.

Easter morning

I love Daisy's look: "And why is this exciting...?"

The Easter Bunny brings books to our house. He's a swell guy, I've got his number if you ever need to call him up and have him talk to your kids about the real meaning of Easter. I promise that even an eight year-old would be talking about it for a week afterwards.

This year the Easter Bunny really scored big on the coolness factor. All books were a huge success and one has already gone to show-n-tell and one had to be in bed while she slept and the other one has been read twice and eaten.  

I almost left dyeing the eggs out of our weekend activities. The kids enjoy it, but I don't think they would have been bummed out if we didn't dye eggs this year. It's just messy and we don't eat boiled eggs (well except for London I guess) so I am throwing eggs away for a week after. It was fun this year, but we'll see what happens next year.

Yes...we'll see what happens next year...

So you know how we have four sister missionaries living in the duplex in our backyard? No? Well, now you do. We like them and wanted to be their Easter Bunny. Port and London ran the goods to the door step, rang the bell and then ran back inside our house. I snapped these pictures from our back window. The sister said, "Oh wow! Sister look!" when she opened the door and my kids were jumping up and down and clapping their hands. That moment was the highlight of my Easter day.

Having General Conference land on Easter Sunday was such blissful timing. I loved cuddling with Olen and listening to our Prophet's voice. So many messages about the family and parents and children. I see that I have a lot of room for improvement and I want to be ready.

I got this one and only picture of how we watched General Conference on our computer; London eating her Peeps. I think it sums up the morning pretty accurately though, just being comfortable and really happy. She ate that whole tray of Peeps, by the way. Since the Easter Bunny brought it just for her, we didn’t have the heart to take it away. All other Peeps have been stashed away to get good and stale because that's when they're best. Like fine cheese, ya know.

Easter Egg Hunt #3

Sunday

Tietjen side - Aunt Collen and Uncle Rhett's house, Queen Creek, AZ

You can never have enough egg hunts I've learned.

My kids don't wear shoes, like me, for very long so they are almost always bare footed. London found a "pokey in the grass" the hard way. It was a pretty big thorn and she tried to be brave. Mostly. 

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. I asked who was who and they told me that they take turns being each one. Whoever has the best idea gets to be Tweedle Dee and whoever doesn't, well, is the other one. Aubrey and Porter, my little sister and my son, you can't have one without the other.

Such a happy Easter weekend filled with reminders of our Savior's love for each of us. I know He loves me because he's given me so many people to love and who love me. 

Looking Back But Moving Forward, An Easter Memory.

Earlier this week Olen and I were penciling in our family plans for the approaching Easter weekend when one of us said, “Remember last Easter? Can you believe it’s only been a year?” Then we both were silent for a long time because we were trying to remember if we just dreamed it or if last year really happened. I had to go back to March 2009 and re-read some of my posts to prove to myself that it really was only twelve months ago that I was in the valley of morning sickness death with Daisy and had just secretly listed our house for sale.

I regret not being able to really talk about that time in our lives here on the blog because it would have been nice to say out loud how much it totally sucked. We knew we couldn’t keep making inflated payments on a house that would never be worth what we paid and that action needed to be taken and taken quick if we wanted to preserve our savings accounts. So I listed the house and we said if it sells then we’ll know that it’s time to move on. Moving on was such a depressing thought for me. We had settled roots in Queen Creek soil and I was feeling way too comfortable to be transplanted. Well, we got our offer in less than thirty days on the market. The bank accepted the offer in less than two weeks. That’s totally unheard of in a short sale transaction, let me just tell you right now, I’ve done my fair share of short sales and ain’t nothing “short” about them. Our buyers were LDS, loved the house and asked to buy our basement furniture, what more of a sign could we ask for? It was time to uproot.

The morning sickness phase ended just in time to start the packing phase in early May. We still didn’t know where we were packing up to, but everything else was working out so well we just kept going with the flow. Plus I think my brain was on overload thinking about Porter’s last month of school, how the kids would react to relocating, the stress of being the seller and the Realtor and all that comes with those titles, and feeling so tired and worn out before I even got out of bed in the morning. We decided to tell Porter and London about the move only once we started taking pictures off the walls and taking boxes to the storage unit. They were happy and excited, another boost to our decision.

Once you short sale your primary residence your credit is a tad bit bruised. That shouldn’t be news to any of you out there. (Have I mentioned yet how I am loving my private blog? Well, I still do.) So we started looking and looking and looking for houses to rent. We came this close to actually getting a couple and then they fell through at the last minute. About a week before our closing date we entered into a verbal agreement to rent a great house in Gilbert, only it wouldn’t be available for another month. No problem, Olen’s parents offered their extra rooms to us while we waited. A week before we expected to move in, the homeowner changed his mind and we were back to square one. But you know what, I didn’t even care. Maybe I was too exhausted and secretly happy that I didn’t have to see a card board moving box for a little while longer. So back to the house hunting we went. We went on drives every other day to view properties and never did I get that feeling that we were where we should be. So we kept looking. I think Olen’s parents thought we would just shack up with them forever. Ha! I kid. They were very supportive and accommodating the whole time, I couldn’t ask for better in-laws.

Oh! I have to tell you about how I pulled up a listing here in Mesa for a little house within our price range and in a neighborhood I already knew and thought we would like. We go see it and right when I walked in the door I’m like, “Have we been here before? How come I know this house?” Well, I walk in the kitchen and see these green-painted kitchen cabinets and know why. It was the Nielson’s house (like Christian and Stephanie Nielson) and the reason I thought I knew it was because I had seen it about a million times in pictures from her blog. I felt like I was totally trespassing on someone’s fallen memories and it made me feel so sad even though the house had a really happy essence. Anyways, it had a huge sliding glass door plus another single door on one wall in the main gathering room, and another huge sliding glass door in the other room and I couldn’t figure out the flow of the family room and the laundry room was out in the garage. But wouldn’t that have made an amazing blog post about how we bought the Nie Nie house?! C’mon, you know it would’ve been sweet. Okay back to my other thoughts.

Yeah, so Daisy was due to come in less than four months but still Olen and I felt calm that we would find our house and where we should be by then. I only really wanted to be where we should be at least a month before Porter started school to make the transition of a new school avoid the collision of the transition of a new house. Here’s where things get cool. My in-laws own a house across the street from the Mesa Temple that is always rented out. At this point in our story it was currently rented to tenants with a one-year lease and never an equation in our plans because of this. But, the tenants call out of the blue and say they need to break their lease and will be out at the end of the month. Hold the phone. Could we even fit in that house? It’s half the size of our last house and didn’t have any of the things we had been looking for in our searches. We’ve been there lots of times so I know how the house flows, but Olen says to me “Let’s just walk in the front door and if we don’t feel it, then at least we tried.” I say, “Worth a try.” We walk in the front door. I see where my couch would go, I see color schemes, I see how perfectly our dining table would look, I see how I could make the desk fit in the family room, I see my daughters sharing a room, I see pictures down the hall, I could see my family living there. For the first time in five months it felt like we were where we should be. We moved in three weeks before Porter started school.

Now here we are twelve full months later standing on the peak of our mountain looking back at the hurdles and steep edges we somehow maneuvered around and over to make it safely to the top. What a view, my friends. Not for a second can I take credit for the climb. I know that our Heavenly Father was with us for every step and braced the loose ground so that we could stay steady and feel confident in our task. For a house that didn’t have anything we were looking for, it has been the house that has everything we needed.

Once the sun sets the orange and grapefruit and lemon blossoms from the Temple grounds fill the air and we have been opening our windows to invite the sweet smell carried on the breeze in. This past week cars start lining our street about five o’clock to trek over to the north lawn of the Temple for the Easter Pageant. We can hear the entire pageant from our living room like we were on the front row. Our windows literally shake from the thunder audio during the crucifixion scene and when Mary’s Lullaby is being sung I grab my closest child and we dance till it’s over.

I’ve always resented that they say we use Easter eggs to represent new life or spring or a rebirth of the seasons. I know we hide those hollow eggs because of the tomb that was found empty on the third day. But maybe this year I’ll let it slide. This Easter more than any year before I understand how much a new life, spring or a rebirth can mean to someone and, besides, none of it would even be possible without that empty tomb. Happy Easter.