Seriously - Every Morning

Every single day -- and I mean every single day... Trey and Tamsyn fight over who gets to sit by the plant during breakfast. You would think the plant would feel pretty special, but no, it is slowly getting brown spots and is just as tired of the fighting as Natasha and I are.

After the squabble over the beloved spot next to the plant there is a similar battle over who gets to say the blessing. Trey usually wins, and if he doesn't he usually wants to say two prayers. The other day I had to laugh when I noticed how Tamsyn was prompting him...

I am sure there will come a day when the kids are arguing because they don't want to say it -- So I guess for now I should enjoy their over eagerness.

Seriously - Dinner Converstation

"A mate!" Jake and I about died... Where Natasha got that -- I seriously have no idea!

Seriously - Signs

A few signs I see around make me laugh --

Stating the Obvious

Umm-- maybe their definition of DRY is different than mine...

Seriously - I hope this ends soon

Trey's newest phase that is making me go grayer and Jake lose what little bit

of hair he has left --

He seriously has to be FIRST at everything. He says things like "let me win" and if he isn't first at something he makes us walk back to the beginning so we can start over and he can be first. We have had to walk back up the street, get back in the car, go back in the house and back out again all to avoid his huge tantrums.

We are finally starting to realize if we negotiate early, he sometimes will allow his sisters to have a turn being first at things, but if we don't plan ahead it is an all out battle. I want him to be competitive and have a desire to be his best -- but, hopefully he'll learn sooner than later that being the "first" to do something or get somewhere, doesn't make you the best, and that every detail of the day isn't a contest to be won.

Seriously - Times Two

Seriously -- What Did You Put in Your Pocket?!

Me --"Tamsyn, good job eating your noodles.... Do you want me to get you some cherries now?"

I guess she was worried Natasha would eat them all before she finished her noodles... so she stashed a bunch in her pockets. At least when she snuck them she was planning on waiting to eat them until after she did as she was asked.

Jake told her that cherries in her pockets maybe wasn't a good idea. And that next time if she was worried about them disappearing, we'd gladly save her some in a bowl.

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Natasha decided that this moment was funny and since I wasn't going to sketch it... she was.

Seriously - Trey is a big boy -- SOME days

Seriously - Party Suit

When Tamsyn said this Jake, Natasha and I all started laughing.

I said - "'Was Trey born in his diaper!?"

And Jake said - "Ummm -- Tamsyn, I think what you meant to say was "birthday suit."

Seriously - Circles from Mom to Dad

Yep -- It all started right under my nose... The trail of dark blue colored pencil circles continued through the entire upstairs and then down the stairs... finally the little artist made it into Jake's view, and came abruptly to a halt.

Here are the paintings I was working on that made me completely oblivious to my surroundings.

"Mommy's Necklace"

16x20

Not sure what I will name this one...

11x14

The lovely mother and child in these paintings are in our ward. The real intention of my photo shoot was to get a shot of her with 2 of her 3 boys with their hands on her belly (which I did and will paint sometime soon), but the 2 photos I did these paintings from just worked out to be my favorites.