Thursday, March 29, 2012

Letter to me:


I found this while cleaning out my computer.  I think I wrote it about 7 years ago...It's funny, and quite interesting.  I am not exactly sure why I wrote it, maybe for a church activity or therapy...

If I could write a letter to me and send it back to myself  when I was a kid, I would say:

Dear Britney,
Choose your friends wisely, because they will impact your decisions later in life, and they will help establish your self esteem and self worth.  Tell Kate you are sorry, and don’t take her criticism so seriously, she was just an unhappy person at the time.  Tell Ian you just wanted to be friends, nothing more.  Include Lindsay with you plans, don’t single her out.  Fight, but be sure to make up, there is no point ruining a friendship over a fight, especially over one involving a boy.  Play and smile more, stop trying to be older than you are, you will never get to be 15 again so don’t rush it. You have your whole life a head of you! Slow down and take it all in and enjoy being a teenager.

Take school a bit less seriously.  Be OK with a B and don’t beat yourself up over it.  Stop comparing yourself to your siblings, you may not ever be as smart as them, but you have other qualities that are just as important.  Don’t EVER cheat!  It just makes you ashamed and embarrassed later on (especially when you don’t know the stuff you should know because you cheated).  Be proud of your accomplishments, and stop putting yourself down.

Don’t date and be alone with a boy even after you are 16 (even if mom and dad say its ok), it ONLY makes for trouble.  The things you do now you can NEVER take back, and you will regret ever putting yourself in such sticky situations (you don’t believe me now but I promise you that this is how you will feel). Tell your brother thank you for spying on you and telling mom…he was only trying to protect you.  Listen to big Jim’s words, “nothing good EVER happens after midnight”. Make sure you make it home before curfew, your punishment is SOOO not worth it.  Thank your parents for the boundaries that they did give you, they did keep you out of some trouble, (and like I said, you won’t know it now, but you will be thankful later).

Go to seminary.  Wake up, and stay awake, you will thank me later for the things you learned.  Stop ditching out on class on Sundays.  Be nicer and more grateful to your church leaders and teachers, they are doing their best.  Talk to the bishop WHENEVER you can, don’t wait, you will only destroy your spirit by waiting.  Remember who you are and what that means.  Don’t fight the spirit when it is guiding you against going somewhere you know you should not be going, or doing something you should not be doing.  Don’t go to Nate’s party!  Do not justify your actions, take responsibility and learn from your mistakes, you will be so much better for it when you are older.  Read the Book of Mormon as soon as you can, and pray about it.   The sooner you truly know your beliefs in the gospel, the easier it will be to remember who you are and to avoid temptation.  Remember that your leaders and bishops do and can make mistakes, talk to them, forgive them, don’t run away from the church because of them, they are human just as you are. 

Do more things with your family, and be nicer to your sisters, they are all you have when you are older, and you will never be able to get back all of those years.  Let them share your clothes and go out to movies together just you and them. Listen to them, empathize with their feelings wether you agree with them or not, they are true feelings for them and they need your guidance. Listen to you parents and forgive them for their shortcomings, they are learning how to be a parent just as you are learning how to be a daughter.  Go walking on the beach with your mom, play more games and do puzzles with her on the floor, take advantage of her physical abilities because they won’t be there much longer.  Remember to tell your dad you love and forgive him even though he won’t ever ask for it.  And remember to always give hugs to your family members because you never know when your last time will be with them. 

Be more optimistic, and listen to yourself and the promptings of the spirit.  You know what is right, just follow your heart (even though it will be tough). Be more patient, loving, and honest.   Most of all, Love yourself!  You are a good person with many talents to share with the world.  Don’t waste so much time and energy trying to be something that others want you to be.  Be happy with who you are and how you look, I promise you will never weigh less or look as good as you do now, so stop being so insecure and get in that pool!  J
Love always, Britney

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Spring 2012

Spring is here which means POLLEN!  Last week  the pollen count reached record highs out here in Atlanta.  Here are a couple of pics:
 The deck pic was taken the day after I hosed it all off. 12 hours later you could see footprints in the pollen.  Ick!  I wish I had taken a pic of the slide before the kids went down, or at least a picture of Syd's bum.  I have never seen pollen like that all over her clothes.  I thought she had played in flour or something at school. It was everywhere. Luckily my allergies haven't kicked in this season...hurray!

 We bought Sydney a new car seat to help out with the buckling situation.  She still has to put it on herself, but she doesn't scream anymore about it!  She is excited to sit in her new pink and brown chair.

This weekend in our historic square, they held a little carnival for the kids.  These goats were one week old and super cute.  Syd had her picture in the paper petting them.  
Blue and pink hair!  The kids had a ball playing the carnival games.  Macey even won the cake walk!
 The park has become out new favorite place.  The weather has been amazing, and we are taking FULL advantage.  These girls love each other so much!
 Before:
 After:
Dylan is 6!  I still can't get over the fact that I have a 6 year old.  He is such a great helper with the girls, and he is so brave and independent.  He is a real kid now, and I don't have to follow him around anymore at the playground.  I love that!
 Macey is officially in her "big girl bed".  She has done really well in it, she rarely comes out at night while we are trying to get her down, and she still takes naps (I was worried!).  We are working on her not coming into our room at 3 am though....thats tricky!
Macey is getting smarter and smarter by the day.  Today in the car she said, "don't be silly mommy, ok!?"  5 words!  Cameron also asked her yesterday who she played with in the pool and she named off all 5 people (2 of them being our neighbors) Sydney still can't do that! Macey is a feisty, stubborn, and smart kid... that's for sure!
On that note, Dylan just tested for QUEST (the gifted program).  I am telling you, that kid is a genius (but I am partial:)  There were only 4 kids in the kindergarten that were tested, and he was one of them. I am kind of proud, is that lame?  I just can't believe they start so young! They didn't really test or have gifted classes offered before high school when I was a kid.
Sydney has been doing really well lately too.  I an finding that she isn't talking a whole lot more than normal, but what she talks about is different.  She has new words and phrases that I haven't ever heard. Yesterday she walked out of our neighbors house saying, "mommy, I was missing you." I asked her if she was lost and she said "yes".  Later that night when Cameron asked her about it, she told him "I lost mommy".  She is asking more questions, and speaking in more fluid sentences.  She also is expressing herself better to her siblings, and reading books (memorizing them) more often.  She has Green Eggs and Ham down!  She is also using her imagination more, especially with her puppets.
Syd is also crying a lot more recently, (but I hear that this is a good sign since she is more aware of things or what she is and isn't getting, make sense?).  

Overall things are going well with the kids!  They are amazing, and I am so lucky to have them in my life.  I am excited for nice weather and water fun!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Great Art

Some of my recent Dylan favorites:
 "The sub is undr watr. The bus is on land"
 "George Washington was born in Virginia.  He livb (lived) on a farm. He rod horsis. He was hom schooled. He loved the laned (land). He had woodin teeth. He was a liar. He was our first president."

 Dylan watched Ghost Busters a few weeks ago at Aunt Alis house, then drew this at church the next morning.
Dylan: Daddy, do you like my funny knife?
Cameron:  Dylan, its a putty knife
Dylan:  I'm not ever going to call it that

"Mommy, do you like how I drew the really shiny part (the reflection)?  Most kids would just draw it all grey, but I know how to draw the really shiny part".  

 "My snowman has a carit nos. He is wering a stript hat. His name is Dylan He livs owtside my hows. He likes Star wars.  He came to life at 2003. He has a dog named Marlee.  He is smrt. His nicnam is D.D. I am his Dad."

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

All you need is LOVE

Today I was taken back to one of my favorite movies of all time, Love Actually.  In that movie there is an eight or so year old boy who is "in love" with one of his classmates at school.  He does everything he can to get noticed by this girl who is going away (maybe moving...I can't remember). It is very sweet, and in the end the girl kisses him on the cheek and it makes all of his efforts worth it.  (Cameron cries during this scene every time). This reminded me so much of Dylan today when I asked him how his day went. (I started writing it down in that moment because I didn't want to forget it:):

DD: Mckenna broke up with me today but don't worry, we are back together
Me: What do you mean back together? How long have you "been together"?
DD: Ever since she was my friend mommy.  She has always been my girlfriend.  She tells me she loves me all the time.
Me: Oh she does?  Do you tell her you love her?
DD: Yes, but she says it funny, like shes sad or something.
Me:  What do you mean?
DD: Well her voice gets lower and lower when she says it.  Like this:  (he whispers and gets quieter and quieter and he says "I LOVE YOU").
Me: (with a little chuckle) Well that's funny.
DD:  Yeah, well I like to say it loud...so she hears me.
Me: Oh that's important.  So you love her like a friend right?
DD: (annoyed) No mommy, I love her like you love Daddy.  I only love everyone in our family, and Mckenna. It's real.
Me: It's real? What does love mean to you Dylan?
DD:  I don't know
Me: How does it make you feel?
DD.  Happy.  It's like in Sesame Street: (and no joke, he begins to sing the chorus of a song that is on my Sesame Street CD in the car) (Title is "A REALLY GOOD FEELING TO HAVE")

"Love is what you feel
When you feel you want to singLove is what you feelAbout your most favorite thingLove is a feelingEverybody likes to feelYes love is a very good feeling to have"

Me: (smiling from ear to ear) Love IS a really good feeling to have.
DD: Yeah, so I told McKenna I would make her a video today.
Me: What do you want to do in the video?
DD:  Well, I want to do a video like the one I did with daddy, only this time I want to jump out of the trees yelling "I love you".

Could my kid be any greater?  Seriously, I don't believe so. 




Thursday, March 1, 2012

Before and After

There have been a lot of changes that Sydney has gone through in the last 6 or so weeks.  Aside from personality, language, adaptibility, and sleep changes, I too have seen some physical changes in her appearance.  Am I the only one that sees this?

I am curious to know if anyone sees what I see between these two pictures.  I tried to get two pictures of her hair tied back with her smiling at the camera (in order to compare better)

This was taken 5 days ago:
 This was taken 3 and a half  months ago in Las Vegas:



A day in the life...

 I wonder when how many spilled drinks it will take for me to learn that not putting a lid on Syds cup results in nothing short of a bath towel on the floor for cleanup.  I am not even kidding.  I rarely put a cup up without a lid, but every single time I do, its only minutes before water is spilled all over the table and floor.  Its actually a running joke between Cameron and I.  When it spills, we just turn to each other and smile as if to say, “will we ever learn?"  Apparently not.

Motherhood is so HARD, and SO CONSTANT! Keeping up with these 3 little ones is difficult, but very fun. They are so great!

I thought today it necessary to share the events of just one day in my home:

Sydney had a fight with a wood board on my bed (a project that I am making for my jewelry), and obviously lost.  Poor girl. I am glad that she did not need stitches but Jason glued it shut for healing/scaring purposes. 
Macey takes after Sydney in everything that she does these days.  She screams when getting dressed, getting her hair brushed, putting on her seatbelt, playing with the same toys, etc. Today while playing with playdough she held it up to her face and said "ho, ho, ho, ine Santa!" (She takes this from Sydney in the bath with bubbles). Its cute until I walk out of the room for 2 minutes and come back to see the entire clump of playdough in her mouth!
Dylan, I mean, Boba Fett climbing trees that weigh just as much as he does. $5 bucks says his arm will be broken one day because of this fact. Oh and in that bottom corner is Matthew his new friend from the neighborhood who lives at our house.  He is great and keeps dylan happy and playing outside.  Win!
Syd plays with her tan-grams everyday. These were mine when I was a kid and I am surprised they are still  in such great shape! We recently laminated some printouts for her to use and she loves them.
 After bath and dinner these kids like to cuddle on the couch.  Look at these girls! They truly are the best of friends!  I am sure that I was this way with my sisters as a kid, I just don't remember it. I am constantly amazed by how much love I see between these two...and I have to admit,  my greatest joy as a mother is to see my kids play together, and take care of one another.  It doesn't get much better than this!
Oh, and did I tell you that Macey transitioned to her big girl bed this week?  She loves her bed, and at night runs into her room screaming, "big girl bed" and lays right down.  She has transitioned so well, its crazy!  She does wake up a little bit earlier than she used to, but she still will nap easily without any complaint.  I am so lucky!