Welcome to harmony's Roundeo.

Going to start potty training my baby tomorrow Morning! :( I'm excited and SAD. Watching and helping your kids grow up is like that.

She's been taking off her diaper every time she pees. I read this 3 day potty training book, and I feel more ready than I have before. Cado was such a cinch, he basically just did it himself, that I thought, this potty training thing is a breeze, what's the big deal? So with Paisley when I saw she was ready I just thought it would go the same and I knew what I was doing. Turns out I was wrong. It took a year to potty train Paisley! I know it was because I was negative and did a lot of the "do nots" of potty training. a few months into it I finally sought some help in a book, and smacked my forehead with a very regretful "doh!" Then I started doing things right, but had to make up for all the previous mistakes and help Paisley see that potty training could be fun and positive.

Anyway, because of that, this time I realized I should be more prepared and maybe even follow someone's tested methodology, so I got the three day potty training ebook, and I believe in it. It's like when I read "love and logic", it seemed so right and obvious to me, I thought, why is this not what I just naturally do? The potty training idea is just to be 100% focused on the child for 3 days (minimize distractions, even cooking and chores: so plan ahead, get house in order), and positive reinforcement, and subtle word changes, it's not, "if you want a candy you'll need to go potty in the toilet first." but when they do it (and you help them by running them to the toilet every time they start to go), you say, you just went potty in the toilet, let's get you a treat! And instead of "do you need to go potty?" you say, "tell mommy when you need to go potty okay?" No forcing, no bribing. You watch them, and get them to the toilet as soon as you notice something happening. Then you praise and congratulate and reward. I feel good about this.

And it's good too, because I did get my house in order, with the help of Spencer and the kids, yesterday. so added bonus: clean house, and stocked fridge and meals planned, etc. We're going to be housebound for 3 days.

So, wish me luck! And it doesn't hurt for grandparents to call with their praise and encouragement, so feel free to do so! I could probably use it too!

(catchy blog title eh? Is it just me or am I becoming less creative and less clever by the second!)

Well, I'll pick up where I left off:

(oh how I would love to post things as they happen instead of like this. This is just a calendar report, not much of the details or feelings or things my kids are saying and doing. Life is too big to live and record!)

Sunday May 30th: I believe this was the day that Spencer sat up on the stand (is there a better word?) as a member of the Bishopric in our ward. Yep, he got called to the Bishopric! It's going well and I love his willingness and desire to serve the Lord. One of Spencer's strengths, which I hope is slowly rubbing off on me, is time management and so thus far I haven't even noticed a difference in his schedule. He manages to bike  A LOT, work, be a good Daddy and husband, and fulfill his church calling. I feel very grateful for who he is and how lucky I am. I was a bit bummed to think he wouldn't be sitting with us on our bench anymore, but it's going really well. The kids seem to have stepped it up in the reverence department, and as long as he looks over and smiles a lot, which he does, Geneve is happy. She waves and says Dadda! periodically through the whole sacrament meeting. 

A while later I also received a new calling: Young Women's president. I am very excited and only hope I can live up to everyone's expectations! Many have expressed how I'm "perfect for the job!" etc. So I hope I can prove them right. It's very challenging to be a youth with standards in our world today, I hope I can help these girls to understand and embrace their divinity and the peace and happiness that come from trusting in God and "standing for truth and righteousness at all times, and in all things and in all places." 

June was busy.

notable events:

Fete a la Pat-oh! Pateaugoire is the word for wading pool. There was a big party for the community at our nearby one, and the Hiatts joined us. They had grills for barbequing, other food, minstrels, the ludobus (bus full of toys/games/etc), and of course the pato. It was a blast.

From the pictures it seems like all we do is watch movies, but that's jsut when my kids are sitting still and so I feel like taking pictures of them!

Played at parks and pateaugoires as much as time and weather permitted. We had a freaky freezing spell for about a week in June.

I got my house in order for just long enough to take some pictures.

End of the year picnic at Paisley's school, end of the year "spectacle" at Cado's school.

Last dance classes for Paisley

Had an amazing day according to Cado which involved him getting to try out Judo and loving it, going to McDonald's for lunch, and celebrating as we walked home a Swiss world cup win with cars honking and people yelling, and making a Swiss flag at home to hang out our window like everyone else, which was Cado's idea.

Went to an indoor pool

Went to a fun birthday party for Clea Gaag, theme: princess and the frog. And Clea's superhuman mother put on a spectacular party, with things like a homemade apron for everyone, and an amazing photo souvenir.

I had a book club for the book "Guernsay literary and potato peel pie society." loved it. I dressed up for the occasion.

I had a photo shoot.

Daddy and Cado went to Father and Sons, and the girls and I had a fun girls night with finger and toe nail painting, watching Enchanted and snuggling on the couch.

We went to "Suessical the musical".

Father's day: ate raclette on Dad's new raclette machine. (toasted cheese on stuff like bread and potatoes, sounds really simple but it's so good)

Planned and prepared for Cado's bday party

had Cado's bday party on June 23rd.

Ward Temple trip by bus. It was really fun. The primary kids got to go into the lobby of the temple and listen to the temple president and his wife talk about the temple. When Cado was walking out he said to his teacher, "I really felt the Spirit."

Went to farewell dinner for the well loved missionary couple the Jones

And finally Cado's end of the year "Fete des Ecoles" which is a really cool parade and festival for all the kids in Geneva's public schools. The kids make hats and props to parade through the old town of Geneva, and marching bands play, and stilt walkers go by, it's really neat. Then they end up at Parc des bastions where there are carnival rides, they get a snack, and they watch a spectacle. The park is closed until the parents come to get their kids. And then the rides stay open for awhile. That was Cado and Paisley's last day of school, June 30th.

I'm really enjoying Summer. I love having my kids around and having more lazy days without the stress of getting out the door and back in and then out again! I have great kids. They're really wonderful, and I hope I can do better at making all our time together count. It goes by too fast.

On May 28th and 29th Paisley had a total of 3 dance recitals she performed in. (In french a performance is called "spectacle" which is said "speck-TACK-leh") 

Friday night Daddy went with her, Saturday matinee at 4 pm we all went, and then I stayed for her final performance at 8. 2 late nights, plus she had her regular class on Wednesday and an extra practice on Thursday. So, she was really exhausted, she slept in and missed preschool on Monday. I felt it was a bit much for a 4 year old, but of course it was nonetheless fun and exciting for her and us.

Paisley was adorable and fun to watch. I was proud of her, she really didn't seem afraid or clam up on the stage like I thought she might. Paisley is a good dancer in the sense that she is intuitive about moving her body and interpreting music through her dancing, and she is graceful and passionate about it. But at least at this young point, remembering a sequence is another story, and being in front of a large audience is a new thing and I think was pretty intimidating even if it didn't show how I thought it might. She just looked at everyone else and was almost never doing the right thing at the right time! But then not many were actually. They all seemed pretty lost. Oh, and space is a hard concept. They were supposed to leave space between them when they came onto the stage but it was more like bumper cars! It was very cute. They had a finale number too, and that was really cute. It was upbeat and lively and involved skipping and turning and fake snapping. At home the week after her performance Paisley was doing her dances and doing them really well and remembering the order of things and everything, so I think it had a lot to do with the stage. Unfortunately I relate all too well, I think I'm a pretty natural and intuitive dancer but remembering a sequence...I've never been good at that. My mind freezes up, connection between the brain and the body moves just a bit too slow.

What's been so fun though is that Paisley has been able to do this with her friends Asia and Justine. They have had so much fun with each other, and I'm glad they got to share this first recital experience with friends. I got to be with my friends as a consequence, so it was a good deal for me too!

Geneve and Cado and Daddy all enjoyed the show too. Geneve got really into it and was dancing to all the numbers. I think Cado was especially impressed by the break dancing, which would be hard not to be impressed by, it's pretty amazing. There was a lot of fun numbers, a lot of hip hop.

Also to note, that Saturday:

I went to a women's conference at church from 9 to 1, Spencer took the kids to a carnival at Cado's school from 11-2, (I met them for the last few minutes) and then we went to Paisley's shows! It was quite a charged Saturday.  We were ready for our relaxing Sunday! Which I'll tell you about soon, as well as hopefully get some dance videos up! (I'm video posting challenged, so we'll see....)

I spent a couple of minutes trying to think of some other title for my blog and I gave up.

So, here's what we were up to in May.

We started off in utah with the exciting wedding (see below posts) and then we got back from Utah and spent a considerable amount of time jet-lagged. NOT fun. Geneve was especially difficult. She has always been a pill about going to sleep, and international travel magnifies and gives new life to the problem. So things have been rough ever since. Last night she snuk out of her room and we found her asleep and curled up at the foot of Paisley's bed. She really loves her brother and sister. I'm so glad they have each other, they're such sweet friends. It just confirmed what we had recently considered of moving them all into the same room for sleeping and moving all the toys into one room for playing.

Anyway, then we celebrated Mother's day of course. It was nice and relaxing. The family gave me a clean house and Spencer made me a grilled hamburger dinner and we had pot de creme (a store bought treat like creme brulee) for dinner, and my kids made me things at school and church.

I took the kids to a big fun toy store and spent allowance money. Paisley got a Strawberry shortcake car. And Cado got "Gormiti" which I had to that point never heard of, and which since then he's hardly played with. kinda frustrating. I thought he was going to get one of the things he's talked about and wanted forever, but he could not be convinced away from these horrible monster looking toys. It was really an outing too because it's on the other side of town and though that's only a few kilometers in a city it ends up being quite the trip, we drove and driving in the city is a bit stressful and frustrating--one wrong turn and you may have just added a half hour to your drive.

Then there was a day off for "Ascension." That's right-- to mark the day when Christ ascended into heaven after his resurrection. Cado actually said, "Hey I have a day off tomorrow because it's the day when Jesus went back to heaven, my teacher told us." Wow. Does that strike anyone in America as amazing. I'm pretty sure no teacher or anyone for that matter is allowed to say anything anymore about Jesus or God there. We have a minority complex in America which is to say that we honor and value the minorities "rights" and opinions more than the majority, we have minority fear. America is largely Christian, and yet.... yeah, well you know what it's like. Anyway, I thought it was cool that his teacher just said that, and that it's not a problem, and why should it be? If I lived in a majority Muslim country, I would expect there would be a Mohammed day or two, and so what! I don't get it. Anywho...

So for the day off, we went to "L'hoptial des nounours" which is "Stuffed animal hospital". HUG, the Geneva hospital puts on the event by the lake, with a bunch of tents and as far as I could tell actually doctors or nurses who examine the kids stuffed animal. It was so cute. They have a consultation and the kids get to say what's wrong with their animal. Cado's Stripey and Paisley's Rose (a dog she got from Uncle Brian and Aunt Doreen) both had broken legs and Stripey had a fever. They took xrays of the animals and got casts, and then they gave them prescriptions for gummy bear "medicine" that they explained was magic and when consumed by the child would actually help the stuffed animal. Too cute! They even had an ambulance come and out came a large Pooh bear doll all hooked up to stuff, and then later the kids got to go in the ambulance and hear all about it. The whole point is to help kids feel comfortable with hospital and ambulance stuff in case they ever are in a situation to need it.

We also did some family biking. We went to a sports store and got helmets and bells, and a seat and trike for Geneve, and we've been on a couple of rides. Geneve LOVES it. she grabs her helmet all the time and tries to get on a bike and is very dissapointed if we aren't going. Spencer has been doing a TON of road biking. He goes in the morning and has logged a bunch of miles. I'm really impressed and proud of him. This is the first time he's road biked, he always mountain biked before. Cado and Paisley both love biking too. Paisley is still a beginner and pretty cautious, but Cado is like an old pro and I think he's following in Daddy's footsteps, or bike pedals...

We've spent a lot more time lingering outdoors and at playgrounds which is just lovely! When we were rushing to and from because of cold I longed for these days! When I drop the kids off I often play with Geneve at a playground for awhile and she obviously loves this. She adores playing at the park. And when I pick the kids up from school we often linger awhile and play there too. On one such occasion Cado and Paisley were able to try jumproping for the first time and they did really well! I was proud of Cado because he has a really hard time if he doesn't succeed...sound famililiar Mom and Dad? Yeah, it comes from me. He says, "I can't do it!" if he doesn't get it right the first time and he beats himself up or he says he doesn't care and never wanted to do it or liked it anyway! So I've been trying to help him and I feel like I'm my parents parenting myself! But there are these awesome moments where it clicks for him and he remembers the things I've tried to teach him and this day was one of those. He said, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it, and I said, You probably won't be able to at first, but if you keep trying I know you can. And he chose to be positive and he said, Yeah! I'm just going to keep trying until I get it Mom! And he did! It took him a few times, but he got it! It's so obvious that our minds have so much to do with how we fail or succeed in life or how happy or miserable we are. 

We had another day off in May, this one was for Pentecost. The ward had a picnic and it turned out really well. We grilled, we ate, talked, played some games and Cado had a ton of fun with his friend Mathias. Cado and Daddy biked to the park and all the home again, don't know how long exactly, but a pretty long bike ride for a 5 year old anyway.

To finish off May Paisley had THREE dance recitals! It was so fun. But I'm going to post that seperately...stay tuned!

(no not my mind, that's old news...)

THE WEIGHT!

It is like people say, harder every time, after every pregnancy, or probably just the older you get. But I am soooo happy to say that I finally feel like my work is showing end results. I'm almost there!

As a rule, I do not weigh myself. I left that behind with my negative body image and issues I dealt with in my early college years. So how do I know I'm almost there?  How much can be pinched,  how my clothes fit, how I feel, and how I look. I prefer these measurements, and they seem more concrete to me than a number.

Here's what happens after I have a baby. "I'll lose the weight...no worries, it will happen." So I take it pretty easy (plus it was winter so I wasn't motivated), and I lose a bit naturally with breastfeeding and walking, etc. Then I realize nothing's budging anymore so I say, okay I guess I have to step it up. So I do, then I plateau, get frustrated, step it up, plateau, and on and on. That's why it takes so long! I guess I don't want to do more work than is absolutely necessary! If I just hit it hard right away I could be done and enjoy a longer period of being myself again between having babies! next time maybe I'll remember that (NOT an announcement people.)

chubbier cheeks and just chubby cheeks.  

I bought this shirt at Zara in 2003 in Brussels, and it's one of those telling clothing items, I haven't felt or looked good in it in a long time! Yay for more clothing options!

So what is working? :

Running (Jogging) 1-3 times a week PLUS Pilates 1-3 times a week

Food Journal and Portion awareness

My Daily Diet Idea (generally and loosely, I'm not super strict) : small bowl of healthy cereal, lunch of smoothie and something else small or salad. Whatever for dinner but watch the portions.  Avoid snacks and dessert, but if necessary make healthy choices and for dessert have a few bites or a small portion or just a piece of excellent dark chocolate.

I would say the things that have helped the most are regular exercise and food journaling. I have heard of it before but I didn't really see how that would be anything but tedious. Basically it means paying attention to what you eat and being aware of your portion sizes and snacking. Because you know you are going to record it, you think more about whether you really need to eat it. "Do I want to record that I ate a handful of marsh- mallows?" you know that kind of thing. It gets me in the mind set of "What is my goal? Is this going to help? Is this worth it?" So I guess it's also helped me to visualize the finish line: for example, me feeling comfortable in my bathing suit, or not being bumpy in my clothes.

Two really awesome tools that have helped me are also (click. they are links):

Runkeeper : tells me my pace, mileage, caloric burn, shows the map of where I go, the elevation chart, and one of the options is actually telling me as I run how far I've gone, how long I've been going and what my current pace is. SO  helpful.

Live Strong:  This is THE WAY to keep a food journal. I set my goal it helps me reach it by telling me how many calories I should eat a day and then I can record what I'm eating and it has the calories for it. There's also a ton more resources on here.

(my food journal on Live Strong; the link to the website is above)

I strongly recommend checking those things out. If you do cardio activity or are training or after a weight/health goal, I also strongly recommend having a pedometer that tells you your calorie burn, distance, speed, etc. And I think that if you're going to have a pedometer, a GPS unit, an mp3 player, or a phone that has internet, you might as well get an iphone since it offers all of that and more. It probably pays for itself. It is a bit bulky for exercise but it hasn't bothered me a bit, when you have it attached to your arm with a holder thingy.

ME last summer and this. (you really can't tell but my tummy is pretty flat now!)

Seriously has it really taken me a whole year just to take that off?!  kinda pathetic.

oh well, progress is progress I guess.

On running:

I'm really not very good at it! And for the most part I'm fine with that because my goal is not to be good at running, but I have been a bit frustrated lately because it seems that no matter what I do it's not getting any easier and I'm not getting any faster! That just doesn't seem right. I've been running now since November of 2008, though I do take the winters off, so for this year I've been running since February, and as its gotten warmer, more and more consistently. I basically only run 2 to 3 miles when I go because I go in the morning and I don't get up early enough to do more than that. (Spencer and I are taking turns exercising in the morning, can I tell you how happy I am he's exercising and so into it! check his roundeo to see what I mean!)

So my mile is consistently between 10 and 11 minutes a mile. (I wonder what it was when I was in cross country or in my early 20's?). And it seems to stay around 10:40. The last time I broke 10 minutes was recently in Utah, but I almost threw up afterward! So I was complaining about this to Spencer the other day and he was saying how in biking he just thinks of rotating faster. I thought, yeah, I mean I try to think of lengthening my stride but it's not like biking.

Then yesterday...dun dunna nu!  I suddenly took more than a minute off my mile! I ran 2.67 miles at an average pace of 9:20! I was really excited. I could tell something was different right away. It felt like I had been running with chains and they suddenly just slipped off. I think something i was doing differently actually was thinking about rotating faster. I was lifting my knees more, I did think of it more as rotating and I have to admit it helped. I was focusing also on my breathing and I was trying to think positive encouraging thoughts to myself.

Anyway, I still ran less than 3 miles (which seems like a joke when I think of people who run marathons) but I'm not trying to be a marathoner, have no plans of ever being one, and am mostly just happy to be doing it at all and more than getting faster my goal is that I just want it to get a bit easier! I'm tired of 3 miles feeling like I'm going to die and having the brightest red face you've ever seen at the end of it! Although I think my face will be like that no matter how easy it may get.

I don't think exercise will ever be a consuming part of my life (been there done that), but it is great for so many reasons: mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. And I'm so glad that I'm finally getting my body back!

Well, that title may be a bit much...though come to think of it with our anniversary, st. patrick's day, and a 5 friend baby shower, a couple of Relief Society activities, among other things... we did do quite a bit of merry-making!

For our anniversary on March 2nd, Becky was kind enough to watch the girls so I could meet Spencer for lunch. It was probably the first time since Spencer has worked for KPMG that we have met for lunch, so it was special for me, sneaking off with my handsome prince when we would normally be at work. Plus we went to Sushi, and besides a few California rolls, it was my first time really eating it. And I did like it as everyone said I would. It's fun to eat too. I just love being with my husband, so it was really nice.

We also had a great time up in the snow with our kids at Col de la Faucille in France. The kids loved eating snowballs probably more than sledding, but the sledding was fun too. Geneve would have liked it more if snow hadn't flown up violently in her face so much. She looked so cute as a big puff ball. I blogged about this day here.

5 of my friends (who all go to the English speaking ward at church, we go to a French ward) are having babies! And 3 of them are actually moving soon too! Suzy, Alma, Sarah, Christina and Jessi were all pregnant at the shower! Aimee hosted and we just to get together to celebrate.

When we went to the snow with our kids, it suddenly occured to Spencer that we absolutely must go snowboarding one more time (we went once in Utah) this season before the snow was gone. I made fun of him for the sudden urgency with which this idea struck him, but if it could work out then why not. Our friend Manuela is always asking how she can serve us, as well as my visiting teachers, so I snagged Manuela and Sabina at church and asked if they really wanted to do it! They said yes and then Ruth was dragged into it too, and we ended up with three babysitters taking shifts!

I call what we did that day "snurfing." This is actually one of the terms originally used for snowboarding, and it really fit this day because the snow was probably 50% water and it felt a lot like surfing. After I got a bit used to the different feeling, you have to dig in more and use your knees a lot, I rather liked it, but it is more work and thus more exhausting than with good snow. It's at once more slippery and more sticky. There were huge patches of very thin snow or even uncovered areas of rock and dirt. The snow was literally melting off the mountain right under our feet. It was, to be honest, Spring skiing at its worst, but do not mistake that to mean that it was an awful day...not at all. Something about the whole day just made me laugh. It was quite fun and  a unique experience to be sure,  especially when it started raining at lunchtime (and continued until we left), and when you consider the variety of lifts we encountered.

Oh, the lifts! I have to chuckle when I think of them. Of course we rode on your standard bench lift which we now have a renewed appreciation for, but we also got to experience snowboarding up a mountain with an upside down T bar lift and a pole with a ball on the end of it. Having never used lifts like these I was a bit intimidated. However there was no way to avoid them. We watched people doing it, but mostly skiiers. When it was our turn, i think we tried to get on it together as the skiers had done, but you have to be opposite footed and we're not and i was triying to sit on it (like the skiers) but you have to straddle it and basically snowboard up the mountain. Anyway, I fell. Then a kind skiier took it upon himself to help me and he held onto me the whole way up.

The next time went a lot better....until about halfway up the mountain. I had managed to get on and ride by myself and was feeling pretty comfortable until for some reason I decided I needed to look down. Well, that was all it took, I started writhing and falling and the rope suddenly had too much slack and then not enough and sufficeth to say I sincerely wish Spencer could have seen it and been recording it. Even though it was stressful and exhausting, even at the time I could hardly keep from laughing to concentrate on not falling off. I am proud to say that I did manage to hold on and made it to the top! I was being dragged and my board was twisting all over the place, but I refused to let go! I finally succeeded after at least a full minute to get myself back on the bar. And I had a good augh at myself, though nervously still afraid of doing it again, for the remainder of my ride. Spencer was waiting with the camera and if you go to his link you can watch me finish. So in addition to being exhausted from the watery snow, we were also exhausted by these lifts. Normally you get a break on the lift, but it was not so this day.

But alas my trials were not over, I actually had more lift drama. Another time on the pole- kind of lift I fell off right away, had to start over, then I got 7/8 up the way of the hill and suddenly caught an edge and the pole immediately jerked out from under me, and... it was over. I had to return to the bottom of the hill and start again. This time I went in front of Spencer and I guess I couldn't resist stupidly looking back at him and yeah, I fell off. Well it being pretty close to the end of the day and what with my exhaustion and frustration, I sat there for a good 15 minutes before having any desire to try it again. I had this defeating vision of doing this over and over again and eventually having to hike out of the mountain or be airlifted, that idea actually almost became tempting...maybe I could be airlifted! Anyway, I finally pulled myself together and exercised all my might, positivity and concentration on reaching my destination, which I did. But I was keen to take a break from the odd lifts for awhile. It was really quite ridiculously funny.

As we came toward the bottom of the mountain to get to our car we passed over several puddles. I'm glad we went but I think it's funny that the worst snow yet of my life was not in Southern California but Switzerland!

That night we went to the burning of the "bonhomme" festival which symbolizes the beginning of Spring, at a nearby park. Us girls arrived at the end of the burning but we got to see giant ladies on stilts and eat soup and cheese and bread and watch a guy spin firey things around.

We also experienced unnaturally FREEZING weather and WIND in February and March. It was awful. Hand and face crippling, biting, bitter, frigid, cold wind. Along the lake it causes the water to come up and freeze on things. My friend shared pictures with me from when she went to the lake and saw it. We were running as fast as we could to and from school. Cado loved that there were icicles on a fountain along our route and one day I allowed him to snap one off. It became a treasured possesion until it broke.

I also planned with Becky an Easter playdate at the church. We have this playdate group we are trying to do once a month. We did an Easter craft, an Easter egg hunt and had a snack together. Paisley and Geneve loved it. It was funny though whenever poor Geneve leaned down to grab something, all the contents of her basket spilled out. It was cute though because she never got upset, she just calmly began putting it all back in again. And by the way, she LOVES chocolate. She really really loves it.

Normally I get pretty into the holidays, but with St. Patricks day we just made sure to wear green, and we played at one of our favorite parks, bois de la batie, with our friends.

I also was in charge of planning our March enrichment night. We decided on an Easter theme, but in the sense of the last Supper and Jesus' message and resurrection. It was really special. I had great help. We had lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs salad and grape juice. We talked about the symbols and meaning of passover and how the passover applies to us today and about Jesus' last days and that He lives! It was a very spiritually uplifting night where we really enjoyed our sisterhood in Christ.

We also got a dishwasher. I cannot believe how much it has done for our level of happiness and cleanliness! I am so thankful for amazing people who have invented so many amazing things! Take a moment to think about your amazing dishwasher if you have one, and thank God for  those amazing people who came up with it. I'm glad we went without one for awhile, we are still amazed by it. We get all excited when we take out our sparkling clean dishes!

In other news: Cado had to get another tooth pulled. Spencer had the brilliant idea of doing lots of practice beforehand because Cado does not handle the anticipation of pain well. This helped him a lot. We are hoping and doing our best, to make sure this is the last of pulled teeth. Some have been as a result of the car accident (see links below to read about it) when he was three and got hit by a car, and some have been as a result of "sugar bugs" or in other words serious decay. Also, Daddy has continued reading the kids stories, which now is even easier to do since he can download them to his iphone. He read them Dr. Doolittle recently. 

http://roundeo.com/harmony/blogs/view/cc0c485b414b76404960e60f858ba1af

http://roundeo.com/harmony/blogs/view/ee4b37f01637b629f1dc65d2318b95f2

Enjoy the pictures!

Well, as you can see (if you bother looking through the 6 pages of photos ) we had a lot of fun in February.

Highlights:

Our Valentine party

Paisley got a bike! and has ridden it with her training wheels quite well!

Week off of school (mostly spent sick but we did get out paint our faces, play with playdough and get outside a bit)

Mom's bday, and Dad's gift of an iphone!

Mom and Dad go to Valentine church dance

Valentine Dinner with Manuela and sister missionaries

Kids being cute and having fun together

Went to the temple with the Gillespies and our car had smoke coming out of both ends on the way so Spencer didn't get to go in and we didn't manage to get a picture. We did manage to get back home safely and haven't had a problem since!

Log in for pictures! I gave up on eliminating and that means you'll probably give up on looking! suggestion: thumbnail view and then just click on a few that interest you!)