No more tears?

It's amazing how smart Jack is. I didn't know a 19 month old could be reasoned with. While we were reading books I asked him to please not cry when I put him in his crib. He looked at me and smiled and asked, (with his right index finger up) "Be right back?" I told him that I would. Then he smiled and stated with a slight giggle."Be right back". I put him down and held up my finger and said. "OK, sweetie, I'll be right back." He didn't make a peep. I came into check on him a few minutes later and he just smiled at me. Again I told him I would "be right back" and he let me leave again with no tears. Two minutes later he was asleep! I hope this is the end of our bedtime tears.

Be right back

Why, when Jack has been going down PERFECTLY at night, does he now scream bloody murder? I am now in the process of trying different methods. One trick is leaving the door open. That kid does NOT like to be shut in! And last nights trick was me going in every few minutes and telling him I would "be right back". When I went back into check on him (because I told him I would) he would hold up his index finger and said, "back back". It was really sweet. He wouldn't even cry when I left because he knew I would "be right back" in a few minutes. Eventually he was a sleep when I came back to check on him. I still lament the fact that he won't reach for his crib and say "night night" like he used to, or let ANYONE but me put him down, but it seems like he is having some anxiety issues. Hopefully he will grow out of them soon.

Despite the bed time blues, we still adore this little guy. He brings us all so much joy!

Money Bags

Ellie, armed with a fresh $25 dollars from her White Elegance photo shoot, heads over to the neighbors (two boys her age) yard sale. She comes back with a pair of plastic baby sunglasses and says, "They were only asking .50 for these, but I gave them $5.00."

See why we didn't give her the full $125.00???


I made her go back immediately and get her money back.

Sunday giggles

First Giggle:

This morning, out of what seemed like nowhere, Mike announced "They might be all white and spotted, but they don't stink nearly as much as they used to."

All I could do was laugh and ask, "What in heck are you talking about!?"

He started to laugh to as he realized he was continuing a former observation in his head that we had made earlier about the dishes and how they were coming out of the dishwasher. He only vocalized that last sentence.

Taken out of context, that sentence alone was funny enough to give us our first Sunday giggle.


Second Giggle: Jack fell asleep in Mike's arms during Sacrament meeting. We decided make a space so Jack could lay on the bench. The girls and I scooted and Mike put sleeping Jack down.
For some reason it made me giggle to know that the only thing the rest of the ward could see was Mike sitting three feet away from the rest of his family. I wondered if they thought we weren't getting along so well that day.

Third Giggle:
Annie asked what college was. That queston started a whole family discussion about growing up and moving out. At one point Ellie got a worried look on her face and asked, "So, will we like have to pay for our own lunches?"
"Yes, and your own apartment, tuition, books, clothes, and bills."
"Ok.....so....wait...., how much do you think lunch will cost?"

Fourth Giggle:
Mike walking out of the bathroom says, "We need to buy more Raisin Bran"
Oh, that made me giggle.

Fifth Giggle:
On the way home from Church we were talking about crying. Annie told me that she has only seem me cry once.

"You were wiping a bugar off the wall, and said something about having a major Milk down."

(I have no recollection of this event....but hey, I was in the middle of a MILK down so I may have blocked it out) giggle giggle giggle.

A Riddle to start your day.

Question: What is usually Jack....Occasionally Mike....Never Casie (anymore)...started out as Annie last night...and ended up as Ellie....and is made of cement?


Do you give up?


Answer: (I wish I could write this upside down, but oh well..) The person sleeping RIGHT next to me in bed. (I just threw in the cement part to make it hard)

We should just turn on some music and hand out prizes for our game of musical beds.

It begins tonight.

"Cultivate and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Make sure that includes your own home or apartment, dictating the kind of art, music, and literature you keep there."

Jeffery R. Holland


Looks like it's Little House on the Prairie re-runs for the Beardens from here on out.



I was going to end the post there, but I wanted to publicly declare on paper that I will not be watching the show Glee anymore. Seriously, the fun music can no longer justify the smut. And I BEG anyone who let's their kids watch it to STOP!!!!

Church Bags

The girls got these adorable church bags for Easter. On Monday we decorated some notebooks to go along with them. I told the girls that the notebooks weren't for drawing in, but for writing down the inspirations they feel during church, or when they are reading their scriptures. It's been amazing to see how excited they've become about scripture reading since getting their notebooks. I love seeing Ellie write God loves me in her notebook. I loved Annie's list of how to choose the right. I love that Casie is writing down the scripture references that go along with her thoughts. And ok....I love how the books and notebooks match each other. Who says spirituality has to be bland. :-) Now I'm off to the store to buy matching dresses....just kidding.

Who needs brains when you've got beauty?

Ellie got her first (of many?) modeling jobs! My ultra-talented friend and photographer Jill asked Ellie to come and model some baptism dresses for a store called White Elegance. Ellie loved getting make up on and being the center of attention. :-) She loved the gorgeous dresses she got to model (around 15 of them) and we both loved the fact that she got paid $125! Sweet! We gave her $20 (so she will only spend $20 on candy instead of $125) and plan to spend the rest on some new summer clothes for her. Thanks again for giving us such a fun opportunity Jill!!

Oh, and Ellie is VERY smart as well, so she's got the brains too. :-)

The quiet game

Yesterday I was trying to concentrate on something...I don't remember what it was, but I do remember Ellie was jabbering non-stop. I asked her to be quiet for a few seconds So I could think about what I was doing. Here was her response.

"Ok Mom, we will play the quiet game. One, two, three, start....wait, I mean I will play the quiet game. It's fine if you talk. You won't be out. Ok, one, two, three start...wait, pause the game... So Mom, let's say if I talk during the quiet game, I have to be quiet for 5 more minutes ok?...Ok so, one, two, three start....wait, pause the game..........can I cough?"

By this time I was done with whatever it was I was doing.

Bad day

Today I had one of those days. You know the days when my kids are acting normal, but they still annoy me somehow. When nothing sounds exciting. When I have to FORCE myself to set food before my family...(not cook it, or serve it, but just set it out on the counter and say..eat) When I should be doing something productive but can't summon the desire to do it....uhgg. I am glad I don't feel this way very often. After contemplating why I am feeling this way, I have come up with this list of reasons.

*Although I felt so inspired and uplifted during conference, it also brought me to the realization that I am VERY far from where I need to be. I am not like the amazing mothers that were spoken of during conference. I am not patient. I am not always a good example for my daughters to look at. I fail in many ways. It's overwhelming to realize how much I need to work on.

* After weighing myself I realized that I MUST stop eating like a pig. Somehow this realization depresses me. I enjoy eating like a pig. I love food. I love feeling full. I love dessert. The thought of living life on a limited diet makes me grumpy.

* That stinking scale also made me realize that I need to exercise....that too makes me grumpy. Where is the time for that? Where is the energy for that? I hate all the exercise in the whole world.

* Another prompting from Conference is that I really need to stop watching all the crap on TV that I have allowed myself to watch. This is one of those pet sins that I am having a hard time parting with. Satan is so good at making the dramatization of wrong choices being made by others so entertaining to watch! Now what will I look forward to at the end of a long day? BLAHHH!!!