"The Dance"

Billy Elliot meets Flash Dance Meets Funky Town meets Elai.ne Benes (from Seinf.eld)

This is only a small portion of the (at least 10 minute) dance routine T-Man created. There is a truck sitting on the couch that plays music when you push the corresponding buttons. It's probably another one of those "you had to be there" moments, but we thought it to be entertaining! Mid-video T-Man states "I have a sock in my throat". I think he meant he had a "frog" in his throat :)

(I apologize for my laughter in the background and the shaking video from my laughter!)
(and pardon the messy room - migraine headache + three year old = that!)

What Faith Can Do

What Faith Can Do

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than just what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
 

Purple Lee

Meet Purple Lee

He is a relatively new member of our home.

Please do not say hello to him.

Oh, don't get us wrong, he is friendly, lovable, and loves people.

We prefer you only say "Hi" to him

That way all the members of our house can giggle uncontrollably when we hear you say,

"Hi Purple Lee!"

hyperbole (hye-PER-buh-lee):  A figure of speech in which deliberate exaggeration is used for emphasis. Many everyday expressions are examples of hyperbole: tons of money, waiting for ages, a flood of tears, etc. Hyperbole is the opposite of litotes.

Some light reading for my friends of adoption

I was searching for some type of cute angel story to place in the gift baskets we gave out to our neighbors this Christmas.  I ran across this AMAZING adoption story and it brought me to tears a couple of times as I read it.  It's a tad lengthy, but so worth reading.

Enjoy ...

Angels, Prayers, and the Christmas Miracle

(p.s. I searched for some short angel story for days with no luck ... The neighbors ended up with an angel hair pasta recipe and a box of angel hair pasta in their gift baskets instead!)

Another Successful Family Home Evening

Tonight's family home evening came from the book, "The ABC of Bible Verses".  We are on page 2, the letter B - Blessed are the Peacemakers.  After reading, we started talking about Alma the Younger who was a "troublemaker" until he apologized and then he became a "peacemaker".  We then asked, "Who else was a troublemaker before they apologized?"  We were leading him toward the answer of "The Sons of Mosiah" which T-Man normally would have answered.  Tonight he proudly proclaimed his answer:

"ME!"

Another Boost to the Self Esteem

 We picked Eric up from the train station tonight and on the way home we were talking about who Eric's favorite person was.  I shouted,

"I know - it's T-Man!"

T-Man replied, "No, It's Mommy!"

Eric said, "No, Mommy's my wife" (apparently meaning that we are equals so I can't be a favorite)

Here, dear

would you like to dig yourself into a deeper hole?  :)

Apparently T-Man mistook the word "wife" for "life" and
from the all-knowing car seat we hear the three year old's translation of  things:

"MOMMY HAS NO LIFE!"

Eric tried to nip it in the bud by laughing uncontrollably which led to a continuous repeat of

"MOMMY HAS NO LIFE" {giggle, giggle, giggle}

"MOMMY HAS NO LIFE!"

Thanks boys!

"Saturday is a special day..."

and am I feeling SOOOOO special!!!

 

Every Saturday night is our "get ready for Sunday" night and it always includes a bath.  Tonight was no different.  T-Man was in the tub playing with his hair; spiking it, putting bath bubbles in it, and just plain ol' messing it up.  He cracked himself up!  What came next wasnt' so funny.

T-Man:  "I have funny hair!  {giggling} I have funny hair!!!  Mommy, my hair matches yours!  My hair matches yours {more giggling}!!"

Mommy:  "Thank you, T-Man"

Balle"Wii"na Shoes

E.melda Ma.rcos eat your heart out!

$1.48 (+ shipping if you order online)

 

Okay -- I am pretty sure this is not how these are to be used.  Sil.icone Skin Covers for the Wi.i Remote (they belong around the outside of the remote controller) --  not on your feet!!

T-Man modeling Skin Covers

No shoelaces to deal with ...

Non-slip bottoms ...

They offer a very slimming look for even a wide foot ...

The Colosseum

Silence filled the kitchen for over 10 minutes. 

Silence can equal one of two things in our house; complete and total concentration or a HUGE mess for Mommy T-Man to clean up. This is what resulted from Monday's silence:

Of course, I had to inquire what this colorful project might be. 

To the untrained eye this might appear to be a simple McD.on.alds cup holder and some colorful flying discs from "Mike" the robot.

Oh ye unwise and uneducated!

It is clear to see that this (according to T-Man) is the Colosseum in Rome and it is full of people's faces (aerial view).

Don't you see it?

(He just told me that this is where The Lit.tle Ein.steins live)

I Licked the 10 Commandments!

I know the phone will be ringing off the hook when the church curriculum department hears about the outstanding Family Home Evening we had last night.  They will be desperate for me to write an entire book of family home evening lessons for the entire church :)

For a previous FHE, we read the story  "Alma the Younger Apologizes" and then played a game called "Hard Hearts, Soft Hearts".  You read a statement and decide if the action is something that a person with a hard heart (represented by the rocks) would do (such as stealing) or a soft heart (the cotton balls) would do (helping a friend).  Once you make your decision, you then place the corresponding object into a bucket and when all the statements are gone, you count out which has more.  You either get a "good job, you had a soft heart" or a "Oh, we better try harder to change our heart!" consolation prize.  Last night's version consisted of pouring the rocks out onto the floor (repeatedly) and then tossing the cotton balls up in the air to see where they would land (or how many would land on the dog).  The "apologizing" came in the form of saying sorry when an errant rock hit someone.  Gospel topic learned:  Patience (on mommy's end)

Next we read a favorite book:

and discussed the need for rules at home, school, church, in life, etc.   Little Man kept referring to them as Moses' 10 Footballs (a reference to a church video, 'Scripture Bugs').  We then created our own family game of football rules:

Our Family Rules

1.  Help make our home a temple:

    *Pick up our toys

    *Do our chores

    *LOVE one another

2.  Treat others with kindness - The Golden Rule.

3.  We listen to each other and speak with an inside voice.

4.  Follow directions when asked the first time.

5.  We hug and kiss, not hit.

Agreed upon and signed on the 4th day of January 2010

When then chose a clip art picture to put on the page (T-Man chose one of Nephi with the Brass Plates and a sword), printed these up on the computer, we all signed them, and then we each proceeded to break at least one by the next morning.

At this point, I was craving / was desperate for  / demanded suggested that we now move to the "Treat" portion of FHE.  This is what T-Man offered:  Foam puzzle piece "hot dog buns" and cotton ball "hot dogs".

 

SUPER cute idea, but ... umm ... DELICIOUS??

This is what I had in mind:

 

Graham Cracker Stone Tablets with the 10 Commandments written in cream cheese frosting. 

(A tried-&-true dessert from my childhood days)

Can I get an Amen to that treat??

 

He proceeded to lick the frosting off of the "Stone Tablets" to which he then squealed, "I LICKED THE 10 COMMANDMENTS!"  Gospel Principle learned:  The jury is still out on this one.  Any ideas?