Rumbling

Jacob and Sarah have invented their own new word: rumbling. As best I can figure out, the definition for "rumbling" is when someone talks too long while you're "not so patiently" waiting to talk. For example, when Mommy and Daddy are trying to talk, it's "rumbling." However, if Jacob is talking it's NOT "rumbling." When I accused Jacob of "rumbling" he said he was just TALKING. But if I'm talking, Jacob insists that I'm "rumbling!" If Sarah is talking and Jacob wants to talk, then Sarah is also "rumbling."

Hmm . . . as you can see in a family of talkers there is never enough talk time for each of us. Luckily, Jonah isn't talking yet, so he has yet to be accused of "rumbling." For the time being, he just yells above the roar, causing those of us trying to talk to rumble, I mean talk, even louder. So if you happen to pass by our house and your hear yelling, we may not be yelling at all . . . we're just "rumbling!"

I'm A Big Boy Now!!!

Well, I finally did it. I had Jonah's hair cut. I've been putting Brandon and other family off for awhile now, claiming instead that his hair was just too cute to cut! But after a series of runny noses that glue his hair to his nose and face, I just couldn't take it any longer!

Here's Jonah BEFORE his haircut.

See how long it is in front!

As long as I kept the snacks coming, he was content. Thanks, Janet!

And here's our big boy AFTER! I have to admit, I AM a little sad to see the curls gone (I did save a few :)) and to see him looking so BIG! My baby is gone!

Who Won?

Obviously, the sidewalk won! Mean ol' sidewalk!!!

A Glimpse of Our Dinner Conversation

Last night Brandon had meetings, so it was just me and the kids. Sometimes dinner can be a calmer event without Daddy around. Although we definitely prefer to have him at dinner, we're not all clamoring for his attention when he's not here. And boring old Mom already knows what's happened all day because I've been WITH them all day!

I just had to laugh at a couple of things they said, which I'm posting for journaling purposes!

Jacob: "I love being the oldest!"
Sarah: "I love being the cutest!"

And that pretty much sums up their roles in our family. Jacob takes charge and gets things done as the oldest. Sarah sings, dances and plays her way through life, just practicing being . . . cute.

Jacob: "My tummy hurts. I don't think I can finish dinner."
Mom: "Eat a little more and we'll see."
Jacob: "It's all this healthy food. It's hurting my tummy and brain."
Mom: "So would junk food make you feel better?"
Jacob: "Yes, I really think so."
Mom: "Eat your dinner!!!"

Hurting tummy, my foot!

Somebody's Got A Hole In His Smile

Well SOMEBODY at our house FINALLY got a hole in his smile! Jacob's been wiggling that little tooth for months now, ever since the dentist first told him it was a little loose! Boy, was he excited when it came out. He was too nervous to have it pulled out. I was worried he'd swallow it in his sleep! But after dinner 1 night it just fell out! He called just about everyone he knew to share his great news! He shows anybody who looks twice at him that hole in his smile. He's so proud! It's one of the rites of passage of childhood, I guess! I can't believe my little boy is really growing up! Sarah already swears that one of her molars is loose. Hmmm . . . we may be waiting awhile on that one!

Monday Morning Meltdowns

Here's how our Monday morning started out:

Mom: "What do you guys want for breakfast?"
Jacob: "Golden Grahams."
Sarah: "Me too!"
Jacob: "Actually if there's any blueberry oatmeal, I'll have that instead."
Sarah: "I want blueberry oatmeal too."
Mom: "Jacob chose blueberry first, and now it's all gone. But you can choose another flavor or cereal."

Sarah screams and cries for 5 minutes over the blueberry oatmeal while I make if for Jacob.

Mom: "Sarah, why don't you just have Golden Grahams."
Sarah, sniffling but no longer crying: "Okay. That's a great idea, Mommy. I LOOOVE Golden Grahams!"
Jacob: "I don't want oatmeal, I want Golden Grahams too!"
Mom: "No way. We're not throwing out this oatmeal I just made!"

Jacob screams and cries while Sarah's very happy with her Golden Grahams.

It's only 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning! It's going to be a LOOOONG week! Can I give up yet?

Aloha!!!

Brandon and I had the great opportunity of going to Hawaii for a week with NO KIDS!!! Thanks Nanny, Papa, Shauna, Justin, and Amy for taking shifts watching the kids so we could go! My parents have 2 timeshares there, and invited us this year along with my sister, Brittany, her husband, Rick, and my dad's brother, Uncle Steve and his wife, Aunt Suzie! We had a very relaxing break! We spent some days visiting the sights and some just relaxing at the beach. I kept asking Brandon why the food tasted so much better and everything was so much more beautiful than I remember it being 4 years ago when we came. He reminded me that I was pregnant with Sarah then. Ahhh! THAT explains A LOT!

So here's a photo-journal of our trip:

Here we are (a little wind-blown) after our trip on the Catamaran! We saw a mother humpback whale with her calf. We also got to jump out for a little snorkeling and had lunch on board. Then they turned off the motor and we went sailing. Poor Brandon got a little seasick!

We went to Hilo Hatties to do a little souvenir shopping. We played a great April Fool's joke on my dad. Mom told him she had volunteered him to buy all of our souvenirs for the day. So we each took a basket and LOADED them up with stuff while Dad stomped around the store glaring at our filling baskets. It was hilarious to watch him. He was SO mad! But he was SO relieved when we reminded him of the date! You're a good sport, Dad!

Here's Brandon and I at the Polynesian Cultural Center for a luau!

Uncle Steve, Dad, Mom, Brittany and Rick at the luau!

Here's the roasted pig we ate! Yum! The food was great. We all tried new things. None of us cared for the poi. It's an acquired taste! Sorry, Grandpa (he developed a taste for it while serving his mission in Hawaii)!

The dancers were beautiful during the performance after the luau! We LOVED the fire dancer!

The temple is currently under construction, so we just stopped by to take some pictures.

The Visitor's Center was open, though. And they had a lovely display of the Savior. Here we all are at the Christus.

I also got to visit my high school friend, Audrey, there by the temple. Her husband is a professor at BYU-Hawaii.

Brandon and I at a shrimp-shack off the road. They have live shrimp farms and cook it fresh. Eww! Brittany and I hate shrimp! And everything about that place screamed poor sanitation! But Brandon and Rick enjoyed sharing some! (And lived to tell about it!)

We stopped on the side of the road at a beach where the turtles come to lay their eggs. Here I am by the lava rocks.

A sea turtle Brandon found in the rocks!

We also went to the Dole Plantation to get a pineapple and some pineapple whip (pineapple ice cream). It was yummy! Here's Brandon with a pineapple plant. What a hottie!

Pineapple Brandon playing the ukulele!

Pineapple Amanda doing the hula!

And this? Well, this is paradise where we stayed. This is a picture taken from our balcony overlooking the resort. Does it get any more beautiful? We were happy to know that while we were in Hawaii it was snowing most of the week at home!