Scarlett: "I'm almost 7! Only 9 more years until I get a car!"
On Scarlett's birthday I went to her school and surprised her with lunch that we ate at a table in the school office. She was all smiles and giggles on her birthday.
That evening we had a little family party. Grammy was still in town (from babysitting during the Orlando trip), she bought Scarlett some 3x5 cards to go with her present. When she opened them she said "index cards, just what I needed!" haha!!! Girl after my own heart.
That weekend we had a birthday party for our little Scarlett.
Scarlett really wanted an Art Party. We started by decorating gift bags with stickers. Then we made perler bead shapes, created shrinky dink bookmarks, and decorated cupcakes for dessert. It was such a fun party. The kids were so good! They crafted and giggled and were really so dang cute. We are lucky to have so many nice kids in our ward (and some from her class at school). It was a fun day to celebrate Scarlett's 7th bday!
Several months ago I got an email from the stake relief society presidency. They were putting together a big Stake Women's Conference Saturday. Last year they had a bunch of awesome spiritual classes but they had one class on makeup techniques, and it was a hit. So this year they wanted another class like that to include in the program. They asked if I would like to teach a class on fashion or hair. At first I laughed out loud: me, fashion?!? haha! I am the worst at clothes! I only wear screen print shirts and sweats, except for the things that my mom buys for me. haha! After the laughter ended I thought, maybe I could do a hair class. Maybe?! I know I'm not a cosmetologist but maybe I could teach a few things I've picked up over the years of doing my own hair and my friend's hair.
I spent the next six weeks learning sooooo much about hair. Oh my goodness I can't even begin to tell you how many articles, books, pinterest boards, tutorials, and websites I read preparing for this presentation. I decided since I was not a professional stylist, I would teach the class with a Jenni spin. I decided to teach the "Hair 101: Science of Hair". How to approach hair styling with a very methodical and scientific solution. I also designed all the slides, layout, signs, handout, and graphic art that I used. I really had fun putting it all together, but it consumed my life for several weeks. From 7-10pm every night (or 11pm or 12am....) I was on my computer in the office working on this class. Can I just say, there is so much more to hair than I imagined. And the more I learned, the more I realized I didn't know anything! haha!
I decided to give a 20 min lesson with ppt slides. Then I set up science labs around the classroom and had everyone learn about their own hair. There are a lot of things I didn't know about hair typing: porosity, elasticity, density, etc. And once you know about your hair you can treat, style, and take care of it with the proper techniques.
One the day of the actual presentation I recruited several of my friends to stand at different stations during the lab portion and help people do that specific experiment. It made it so smooth! And I spent my time during the labs answering random questions. Thank you Ashley, Whitney, Berlyn, & Summer!
One thing that I remember, I was talking about how my round brush has tourmaline crystals embedded in the bristles that release negative ionic charge to de-frizz your hair. One of the women squealed with excitement! She is a geologist and was so unexpectedly thrilled that rocks were helping hair! Science rocks! haha!
I taught the first 2 sessions. Then during the last session I was able to get all my stuff packed up in the car. I went by the kitchen to see if they needed any help before the luncheon began. They were soooo behind!!!! I ended up making like 7 HUGE bowls of salad. The chef lady was like "here are the ingredients, you're just going to need to make it to taste". Romaine lettuce, black beans, avocado, onions, pico de gallo, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc. It was delicious and totally up my alley. I thought it was ironic that I wore an apron during my hair class but didn't need it, then I took it off before I helped in the kitchen and got covered in food! But it all worked out. The food was all so amazing. Then I helped clean up and even mopped the kitchen. It was such a busy day. The chef lady sent me home with a BUNCH of chopped veggies and left over salad.
After the stake women's conference Laura asked me to come teach the young women my hair class. They were great, but it was definitely a different energy teaching the youth. They were so quiet and didn't laugh at all my hilarious jokes. In their defense, I had lost my voice and I sounded terrible that night.
I got to join the YW again to do hair for the multi-stake formal dance.
One of the YW asked if I would do her hair for prom. So she came over and we had a little hair styling session.
The day after I taught the big stake class I got to play the piano while the primary sang "Gethsemane" for Easter. It all went great. I got a ton of positive feedback from the hair class and from playing the piano. I was feeling so positive about myself. My self esteem got a boost that weekend. Then seriously less than 2 hours after the primary sang, a lady in my ward came up and asked me if I was prego. CRASH AND BURN! I started crying! Which made me feel so mad at myself for crying in public. Self esteem squashed! I have had people ask me this question so many times in my life when I was not pregnant. Many of those times was before I was ever married! It makes me so mad. Why does it matter if I am or am not? You should NEVER ASK! It helped that during the week I vented to several of my friends and many of them have recently had similar experiences, even my super athletic friends! It made me think of this hilarious Jennifer Garner video that Snort shared with me:
Guess what, I have 4 kids. Including a set of twins. For the rest of my life I will always look like I'm pregnant. Cause that's what happens. So let's stop asking people! Unless you're going to offer to watch my kids all day long and bring me dinner, then why do you need to know anyways?! Just promise me that no one reading this blog will make the same mistake.
Now pluck out a hair from your head and go float it in a cup of water! Porosity is no joke people! :-) (side note, the first time I check my porosity my hair sank to the bottom immediately - it was so mad at me from all the bleaching, but after a few weeks of using my It's a 10 protein conditioner, my hair started to float in the middle! YAY for science!!!)
While Jake and I were in Florida, Grammy was holding down the fort in Michigan. Here are some stories she sent me from her trip.....
(the toys on the floor are all toys that the twirls slipped in Grammy's luggage without her knowing, haha!)
The twirls came into the bathroom while I was getting ready Sunday morning. I went into their bedroom to help Scarlett with something and when I came back into the bathroom they were gone. I called out to them to see if they had gone downstairs- no response. I noticed their parents bedroom door was shut and thought maybe they had gone in there, so I continue to get ready. Then I hear two tiny voices in unison say, “open the curtain.” They were quietly laying in the bathtub the whole time.
(Can you find Skye in her hiding spot?)
(Grammy did Scarlett's hair for Crazy hair day, it was her own design)
(the girls loved Grammy's necklace so much that she left it for me to have, and I LOVE it. Thanks mom!)
Grammy: We won't start until Siena gets in here.
Siena: I'm Jaide. Haha no I'm Siena. Haha!!! (She really got it mixed up!)
I made Mac & Cheese because the twirls did not want leftover rice. I dished them up in a pink and purple bowl. Jaide was busy doing something at the island and saw Siena getting her bowl. As Siena reaches for the purple bowl Jaide shouts out “I want the purple bowl”. Siena continues to grab the purple bowl and states- “You snooze”...then giggles as she walks away.
Jake and Jen FaceTimed the first night just as we were about to watch the My Little Pony movie and eat a special treat that Jen bought the girls before she left. The girls were excited to talk to their mom and dad. Skye said, “Hi guys,” The girls were really interested in seeing their ‘house’. Towards the end of the conversation Jaide proclaimed that she was done talking to mom and dad- she wanted to watch the movie and eat the special treat. Siena cried and professed her love and sadness of missing mom and dad. Just like their personalities!
I turned on Peppa Pig, the Father Christmas episode. When Skye saw Santa she said, “ho ho ho.”
Skye was with me in the bathroom while I was changing some laundry around. She opened in unison the two doors of the cabinet under the sink and with an astonished look at all the stuff, she exclaimed, as clear as if I said it, “Wow, that is amazing!”
The girls found a ladybug on the master bath floor. Jaide and Siena were down on all floors really examining it. I was in the bedroom about to brush Scarlett’s hair when there was a blood curdling scream from the bathroom. I hurried in to find the ladybug was crawling up Jaide’s hair. I picked it off and let them watch it crawl on my hand. It was still too scary for them to hold it, but crisis was averted.
We were FaceTiming Jami and she told Scarlett that she met a boy named James. Scarlett said, “that is 3 Jameses. Baby James [Sawaya], teenager James that acts like a kid, and adult James [Jami's friend].” I asked who is teenager James? She replied, “you know who, Uncle James. He is so funny he acts like a kid.” She giggled as she said it, like she was reminiscing about his hilariousness.
I gave Skye a squeezie this morning. She looked at it with disdain and cried while shaking her head no and saying no. We moved on. Later I asked if she wanted a squeezie and she excitedly said yes. She walked to the pantry and I lifted her up to pick one out. Now the previous squeezie I offered her had been opened, so my plan was to trick the toddler and no matter what one she handed me I’d take it behind the counter and switch it for the opened one without her knowing. Clever I am - not! I handed her the previously rejected squeezie and was met with the same emotion as before. I then presented both to her and she smiled and took the one she chose and ate it. As I put the opened squeezie into the fridge I set it next to the one Berlyn had put in the day before, having had a similar experience with Skye. They are the same flavor. Pear, Peach and Strawberry.
The twirls saw I was chewing gum and asked if they could have some. I told them it was cinnamon and hot and spicy and I didn’t think they’d like it. A few days later I heard them tell Scarlett "Grammy said the gum in her purse is hot and spicy"..... then in a suspicious voice they said "but, we’ve never seen it."
Siena: "You said we could watch a show now."
Grammy: "That’s right, what do you want to watch?"
Siena: "Hey Duggee."
Jaide: "Hey, Siena picked the last show."
Grammy: "Oh, then what do you want to watch?"
Jaide: "Hey Duggee."
My phone alarm went off today to remind it was time to start dinner. Scarlett asked if it was an alarm to remind me to get off my electronics for the day.
Jaide and Siena were wearing shirts with cute Pug puppies on the front. I told them that we had a Pug named Chumlee that looked just like the pictures on their shirts. Scarlett said, “I remember him, I rode on him before.” Poor Chumlee......Ha Ha Ha
Scarlett told me "Aunt Carolyn told me she is my favorite aunt." Then she whispers to me "But she isn’t, it’s Aunt Jami."
Scarlett, Siena, Jaide and I were playing Go Fish. I made them play the rules and they couldn’t just say, “Does anyone have a shark?” They had to ask specific people. I've played many games over the years with these little girls and I really play. Meaning I don’t throw games. Sometimes I win, but mostly I lose. They are pretty good at their games. What I find endearing is what good sports they are. They might feel a little sad if they lose, but they are easy to reason with and understand sometimes you win sometimes you lose. What was really cute to me during the Go Fish game was Siena. Anytime she had the cards you needed she would say in a delightful voice, “I have a surprise for you.” FYI- Siena won every game and I lost each time with the least amount of matches of everyone.
Chasing the geese....
Ballet class with Grammy...
Primary...
(I wrote Jaide's talk about repentance. I wanted it to be easy for the little kids to understand. It went like this: You make a bad choice, your dad gets upset, you say sorry, you sit in time out, then your dad is happy. You make a bad choice, your Heavenly Father gets upset, you pray to say sorry, you can't sit in time out in heaven so Jesus did the Atonement which is like he did time out for you, then your Heavenly Father is happy).
Skye as Jake brought her into the chapel - “I treat, I treat?”
Siena managed to use the word puppy in every answer today in her primary class.
The twirls teacher asked what was different in class. Jaide said, "Sister Cook." Then Russell added, "Jaide and Siena have the same dresses on." Sister Wright said, "Yes, because they are twins." Kate replied, "I already knew that because they are my friends."
Here are videos of the girls doing primary opening exercises. [video]
They sang happy birthday to Scarlett. She was crying right before cause she thought that they forgot her. I was so surprised that she would cry instead of just raise her hand and remind them. Sometimes they don't act the way I would predict. But thank goodness we were able to sing to her and her little heart was happy again.
For our 10th Anniversary we decided we wanted to get away without our kids. So the beginning of March my mom came to town to watch the girls. She came a few days before we left so Skye would have time to warm up to her. I was so nervous about leaving. Before we left I redid our will and got all our "affairs" in order. On the way to the airport I was so teary and sad to leave. Thankfully all that anxiety and sadness left when we landed and didn't come back til our flight home.
We got an Uber (the first of many on this trip) and headed to our hotel. The air was so warm - a much needed break from the Michigan winter. One of the days we were there an employee commented on how not many people were at the park because of the cooler temperatures. haha! One man's cold is another's warm!
We both wanted to visit the Magical World of Harry Potter. Since our kids have no idea who Harry is, we didn't feel bad about going without them. We were able to spend 2 days in the park with one day to recover in between. We had so much fun! I freaking love roller coasters. Jake on the other hand.... well, he can only really handle one or two per day. Luckily I brought zofran! Neither of us realized how motion sick he would be (he had a sinus infection that we think made it worse). So several of the rides I went on in the single rider lane all by myself. Often it was so much faster. We used this book to plan our days. It worked really well, we got to see everything we wanted, and some rides we did twice.
One of the days Jake wore a BYU shirt. A few people said "go cougars!" as they passed us. Another guy flashed Jake the U of U gang sign. A young girl on her senior trip told us she is so excited cause she's going to BYU Provo this fall. Seriously, you could almost pick the Mormons out of the crowd. It wasn't just the long shorts or trail of kids... but there was just something. Fun to feel connected to complete strangers!
One day we ate at the Chocolate Emporium - yum!!!! Steampunk delights! Later we took an Uber back to our hotel. The driver said he was an actor at Universal and thought he would make a few extra bucks driving people on his way home. He asked if we ate at the Chocolate Emporium, he was dressed as a robot for the restaurant earlier that day and he recognized my hair from when we ate there. haha! Several guys told me they liked my hair. random!
We went to a 311 concert at US one night. It was full of a bunch of mid-30 aged people with little kids. haha! An aging rock crowd.
We enjoyed the mardi gras parade. Jake was proud of the fleet of shiney white Ford trucks pulling all the parade floats.
I made Jake wear a face mask - what a good sport.
We went to the Blue Man Group concert. It was awesome! There was a song where they talk about bums. We were laughing at how many nicknames they found for a booty! You can watch the song here: [video]. We sent pictures back to our kids to remind them how much we love them.
We were waiting in line for the Escape from Gringotts ride. It was one of the longer lines we had to wait in. We had locked up our phones in a locker before getting in line. To make the time pass we played the alphabet game with Harry Potter words. We had to say the previous letters before adding on. We kept ourselves pretty amused. This was the list we came up with:
A. Albus | B. Bertie Botts | C. Cauldron | D. Dragon | E. Earwax | F. Fleur | G. Gringotts | H. Harry | I. Invisibility | J. Jinx | K. Key (Originally I said knockturn alley, Jake swore it didn't start with a k, so we bet - Jenni won) | L. Leviosa (The other one would usually interject "it's leviOsa, not leviosA) | M. Mandrake | N. Nargle | O. Ollivander | P. Puking pastilles | Q. Quidditch | R. Ravenclaw | S. Snitch | T. Trelawney | U. Umbridge | V. Voldemort (had to whisper in the others' ear, since it's he-who-must-not-be-named) | W. Witch | X. Xenophilius | Y. Year | Z. Zonko
We had so much butterbeer! Cold butterbeer, butterbeer ice cream, and (my favorite) frozen butterbeer. The attention to detail in the Potter World was truly magically.
The castle ride was so cool! The line was half the magic. The actual ride was thrilling. I learned that they use automotive robots to create the sensation of flying. When looking in the Mirror of Erised we saw us, just the way we are (maybe minus a few pounds haha!) We did the ride a second time, but Jake sat in the child swap room while I rode the actual ride. Poor guy! He also snapped a pic of me on the dragon coaster.
I got to see Freddie Mercury's jumpsuit. I sported my super sexy hot pink fanny pack. We had such a magical time. It was so freeing to just walk around and do whatever we wanted. No diaper bags, no tight schedule, no whining. But after a few days we were starting to miss our rugrats. My mom told me when we got home that Skye kept walking around asking for "mom." When we got home the girls were climbing all over us. Skye ran up and gave Jake lots of hugs, but she would not look at me. I pulled her over to kiss her face, but she ran away when she could. She was noticeably cold towards me the rest of the evening. At bedtime I was rocking her and I whispered "I'm home now, I'm not going to leave anymore." She turned to me and snuggled in tight. After that she was happy with me. It was like she had to punish me for leaving. Dad she's used to being gone... but mom? That was too much. Well. Jake and I don't want to wait another decade for our next trip. But maybe we'll wait til Skye's old enough to understand that we'll be back and to enjoy all the treats that Grammy lets them eat!
I am determined to catch up on this silly blog! But life keeps pushing back on me.
We enjoyed an Easter hunt at church. Then another Easter party during General Conference. I got new water cups for the girls for Easter, I thought they would be lame but they were a huge hit! We invited the Furness family over for some Conference snacks.
The night before conference we went to a birthday party for Pranali and Pranati (Scarlett's school friends). They invited our whole family to the party. While we were there the twirls kept talking about how their mom was wearing such a pretty bindi (decorative dot on the middle of her forehead). So she asked if they wanted to wear some too. If you look close in the conference pictures you'll see they wore them the whole next day too!
Decorating eggs in shaving cream at preschool.
For March Madness at Scarlett's school... she got to dress like a favorite character (she wanted to be a genie from Shimmer and Shine). For superhero day she went as Scarlett Speedster. One day I went to her class to be the "mystery reader" her teacher let me bring the other kids too. Berlyn came and held Skye most of the time. We saw in the corner of her classroom the STEM bins and the book Scarlett gave her teacher on her bday: Rosie Revere Engineer.
Ballet practice and preschool play time. Skye fell and bonked her face at the gym. It bruised up almost immediately.
We had some geese hang out in our backyard during this winter. Lots of snow in late March and early April. Just another Michigan spring!
Fun with friends!
Dental checkups for everyone! Skye was not a fan.
I told the girls that if they ate their asparagus it would make their pee smell different in the morning. Jaide told me "I don't really like it but I ate all of it to see if my pee smells." haha! Whatever motivates them! Scarlett brought me "breakfast in bed" one random morning. (see photo with the wheat thin box). The twirls wanted Jake to come make them breakfast so they got his clothes all ready (see photo with blue shirt). The older girls wanted the St. Patrick's Day leprechaun to come alive, so they make a little pile of green items, haha! I found Scarlett crawling down the stairs head first! Silly girl! Oh and I bought these fruit and veggie popsicles that the girls actually enjoy. While Jaide was eating the outside layer off of hers Berlyn took a photo to show me that they were a little inappropriate. You decide.
The twirls switched shirts on purpose to trick me - so it begins..... Can you find Skye's hiding place?
The girls were dragging Skye around in this tunnel and she loved it, silly kids: [video]
We all went to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum one day. Siena asked Berlyn: "How do you know I'm Siena?" (Identical Twin Problems). We all enjoyed the activities.
The water table was a huge hit...
...but we had to take off Skye's shirt and run it under the hand dryer while she ate a snack. At least it was just water!
So.... I promise that I'm at least thinking about blogging... even if I don't get around to it. ;-) Hopefully I will get another post done soon.
