YAY Kayden!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the newest biking riding member of the Keo house, KAYDEN JESSICA TANNER (yes, I know...Keo House? Tanner?, like I have said before...it works for us).

Sunday evening after church I was at my mom's house enjoying some lovely weather (mark this down cause you won't hear me say lovely weather too often) and Kayden out of the blue said she wanted her training wheels off her bike. Being the great uncle he is, my brother quickly got to work. We then put on her helmet, walked down the driveway, she got on her bike and then got mad at me for holding on too long. Umm, holding on too long??? Are you kidding me? I remember being furious at my father for letting go too soon, but this is Kayden we are talking about and once she sets her mind to it, it's a piece of cake (yum, I secretly just thought about how I would love a piece of cake right now).

YAY for Kayden...I am so very proud of you for learning to ride your bike at 4 years and 9 months to the very day (10/19/2008).

(these pictures will have to do for now, they were taken a couple days after this exciting event. I am still waiting for my brother to email me the ones taken that day)

Umm... apparently I have never heard of flash photography

The questions that fill my mind...

About this time last week I was day dreaming of the perfect weekend approaching. The weather was supposed to be beautiful, everyone in a great mood, a patch of pumpkins in perfect rows growing on the vines, and Kaylee loving the opportunity to spend time with both her mom and dad together, at the same time. (Ill back up for a quick second for those who I have just confused. Kaylee has been taught she has two mom's: me the step-mom who she calls mom, and her biological mom who she calls mom. Yes, this may be weird for some, but it works for us). Ok, so back to my story...fast forward now to the day of the events. The weather was disgustingly hot and humid (or should I say disgustingly normal), my hubby and I not in the best moods with each other, and the pumpkin patch was a disgrace. Honestly, shouldn't a pumpkin patch be a patch of pumpkins??? Is that really too much to ask for? Can you really call it a pumpkin patch when you pay $3 a person to walk under a sign and enter a piece of grass with a pile of pumpkins already picked? And seriously, is it really necessary to make the focus of the pumpkin patch all the $3 extra activities surrounding this pile of pumpkins? I'm sure any October-loving person can deeply sympathise with my frustration. Especially when one of my favorite traditions as a child was walking up and down rows of pumpkins and then picking that perfect one off the vine. Girls, I know you had fun, but I promise next year if we have to travel 1,000 miles, we will find an appropriate pumpkin patch.

So continuing on... After the pumpkin patch we took all the girls to the zoo with Kaylee's mom and her boyfriend. Why does the zoo always sound like a much more fun idea in your head? And can I just tell you how so dang smart kids are...even 3 year old kids. Little miss Kaylee figured out rather quickly she could act as naughty as her little heart desired because mom and dad don't parent the same so someone is going to save her from getting in trouble. She is so smart in fact that when the end of the day came and it was time to go home with her dad and me (mom #2) she was as sweet as could be.

(Dear Kaylee, I really admire your intelligence for having figured out the tricks of playing against mom and dad...but no worries, one day you will appreciate having time with both your mom and dad together)

This cracks me up....

(sweet Kaylee before mom showed up)

(naughty Kaylee after mom was there)

At this very second....

I am missing my long hair. My dearest friends...next time I decide I want to achieve my natural hair color, please remind me this is not possible unless I shave my head and regrow it. Bleaching is NOT an option.

I miss you hair (please ignore the dumb look on my face)

Dear Kyler

Why do you insist on sucking your fist every second of the day after three months of me constantly saying "no" and pulling it out of your mouth?

I love you,

Mom

ps, your father wants to put hot sauce on your hand to get you to stop, but don't worry, I will call the guards to be off with his head if he ever dared...I got your back babe, but seriously, please stop sucking your hand.

Not like me

Yesterday the girls got home from school with a note saying tomorrow is community service dress up day (aka, dress up like someone who serves the community). Being as the dress up items in my house consist of dance and princess costumes, I headed to Walmart for a few sheriff's badges as well as some other items. As I was unloading the items from the store I realized there was a bag missing...my reaction, "oh man, that is sad" and pretty much did not give it another thought. Later that evening I was taking the girls upstairs and saw Michael on the phone, he was just sitting there quietly and then I heard "umm, yes, I think my wife left a bag at the register" followed shortly after with a "great, we'll pick it up tomorrow". That is soooo not like me and that is why I love Michael...he doesn't just throw $10 away.

missing items, and quite necessary because

1) I have disgusting feet

2) Michael loves to be pampered

3) Our bathroom smells, even when its clean, I think it has a disease

and the reason for the trip (which is really worth the missing bag)

This weekend

This weekend was great, as most weekends are, but this one was especially special. Special of course because it was general conference and always a comfort to have the opportunity to hear the leaders of the church speak...why do I always feel each talk was prepared just for me to listen to...hum...interesting. However, I will confess I did not hear all the conference talks and some of them were listened to with one ear...THANK HEAVEN FOR DVR...a MUST when you have kids :)

And the best part of every weekend is the time I get to spend with my girls. Friday night was Halloween movie night with just me, Kayden and Kyler. We watched Halloweentown courtesy of the Disney channel and then went to bed. Kaylee is with her mom Friday nights and Michael was out and about. Saturday I took Kayden and Kyler shopping for pieces of Kayden's Halloween costume (details to come later) and bought beads to make the girls bracelets. I don't make many things, but I love to make my girls bracelets. Kayden has had a bracelet on since day one of her life and at no point has ever been without one, I started the tradition with the rest of my girls so bracelets are pretty special in our house. Sunday was spent watching conference with Kaylee, Kyler and Michael (Kayden was at her grandma's...we always seem to be short a child...), and thanks to Kaylee was not short of any entertainment. Ever heard of "pee bear"? Apparently it is the replacement of "pooh bear". Kaylee was walking around the house with a bear and Michael said is that your pooh bear? She says, "no, pee bear". I guess if I were three and had to choose between my bear being called pee or poo, I would also pick pee.

Here are some pics of the weekend:

Kayden and Kyler during movie night

Kayden jammin in the car on the way to the mall

The girls and there bracelets

Kaylee and "pee bear"

Take That!

This is mainly for my husband, but also for everyone else who says Kyler looks "exactly like Michael"....apparently she only looks 5% more like Michael. I knew it!

(**disclaimer: I do not necessarily support the accuracy of this after further tests with our other children were conducted, but it makes me feel better none-the-less)

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Blank family tree - Free family tree

Our Typical Day

This sums it up

I could probably think of a million words to discribe my girls, and you still would not be able to get there true essence...I think these converstations sum the girls up pretty good.

KAYDEN

Kayden: "Mom, were you and my daddy Brad ever married"

Mom: "Umm, no"

Kayden: "Well you're supposed to be married to have me"

Mom: "Yes, this is true, but Heavenly Father needed you in this family and you would not exist with daddy Michael, he is Asian...but, Heavenly Father told me you are for sure not supposed to have kids till you are married"

Kayden: "I know that already" (and gives me the look like, you should have known that too)

KAYLEE

Whenever we ask how old Kaylee is she says she is 3, then she says "mommy 2"...here is why

Kaylee: "I like hot dogs"
Mom: "Me too"
Kaylee: (with a puzzled look) "Me three"

KYLER


Mom: talking to Kyler, looking at her, playing with her
Kyler: happy and smiling
Mom: looks away for a second
Kyler: crying
Mom: looks back and starts talking to Kyler
Kyler: happy and smiling

yep...she fits right on in this family

For my girls...

I am the worst:
a) picture taker, why do I never remember to pull out my camera
b) picture user, why do the pictures I take either sit on the camera or computer for eternity
c) journal keeper, why do I never remember to write down the funny things
d) blogger, why did it resort to Teigan creating this blog for me and actually writing my first post. You would think as a grown person I would be able to handle that task myself

....so thank you Teigan, I truly do heart you cause if it were not for your subtle, yet effective, means of motivation I would not have this blog "for my girls" to one day look back on.

ps. here are a few pictures from the motivating trip to Omaha
pss. yes, that is really me in the pictures. After 12 years of long hair I decided to cut it off...and it's actually shorter then what you see below. I was standing in the mirror one day and decided to cut another inch from the front (Jennifer, if you every read this I sincerely apologize)