More than you wanted to know

I was inspired by Erin's blog to write out some fun facts about my family like she did. So here you have it, a list of 25 random things about each of us.

25 Random things about Kristina
1. I have mafia history in my family
2. I was going to China (had my passport and ticket already) but got married instead
3. I have a bowl of ice cream every night, sometimes 2
4. I almost lost my eyesight at age 3 when my eyelid was cut in half by a vacuum hook
5. My favorite things to do: craft, cook, sew, re-organize, and read
6. I think watching a movie is the biggest waste of 2 hours. I will only watch a movie if it looks REALLY REALLY GOOD!
7. I put Reagan to bed at 6:30pm and the boys at 7pm so I can have peace and quiet
8. I love cooking new things and try new recipes every week
9. I never miss an episode of Oprah
10. I am considering homeschooling my kids
11. I love to thrift shop and only buy used (except for underwear)
12. I haven’t slept through the night in 4 ½ years
13. I still don’t use facebook even though everyone I know does – I’m so out of the loop
14. I’ve made over $1000 selling books that I find at thrift stores. The most I’ve made from one book is $92 that I bought for $1, now that’s a profit!
15. I wonder every night how I’ve survived the day
16. I am working on my 3 month food storage for my family
17. I never officially dated my husband, we were just best friends who decided we wanted to marry each other
18. I am becoming fanatical about ‘all natural’ products and methods
19. My favorite books are Les Miserables, Joy Luck Club, and East of Eden
20. I could have another baby right now, but practicality stops me
21. My best friend is my mom
22. I sleep on my stomach with the blankets completely covering my head (I leave a small breathing hole).
23. I am currently reading “the Plan of Salvation” by Matthew Brown and find it completely fascinating
24. I talk out loud to other drivers when I’m driving, which really confuses my kids (“who are you talking to” they say).
25. I shop at Fred Myers, even though it’s more expensive than other grocery stores, because they have free childcare while you shop, its lovely!

25 Random things about Shawn
1. He studies until midnight almost every night
2. He would rather be watching a movie
3. He teaches the 5 year old class at church. Jefferson plus 6 other boys, he comes home exhausted
4. He has never golfed, is going golfing with friends today
5. He drove from Northern Oregon to Central California from 7 at night to 6 in the morning.
6. He knows more about eyeballs than anyone else I know
7. His favorite food is Thai Food
8. He got a scholarship to BYU but chose BYU-Idaho instead because that’s where I got in
9. He’s working toward his O.D. and Masters in Education
10. He plays rough with the boys every night when he comes home from school
11. He is fascinated by the Naked Mole Rats at the zoo
12. He is better at massaging than any masseuse I’ve paid for
13. He can do his own work on our cars
14. He is mean when woken in the middle of the night and says cruel things, then conveniently doesn’t remember a thing in the morning
15. He listens to audio books when driving in the car
16. He is convinced he has a chance to win the Publishers Clearing House and fills out and sends back every piece of junk mail they send him
17. He went from a major in Criminal Justice to Chemistry, quite a change
18. He is the hardest worker I know. The past 6 years he had a full time job, while going to school full time, and dealing with a growing family. I don’t know anyone else who could do this.
19. He’s the 5th of 9 kids
20. He looks really handsome with facial hair
21. He is really athletic and loves swimming and basketball
22. He is the greatest dad in the world to our kids
23. He got his Eagle Scout award when he was 13 and just got trained to be a merit badge councilor
24. Helps around the house, when he’s not studying. But hates to cut the grass because he is embarrassed that it’s a push mower
25. He can’t wait to take a vacation to the East Coast and visit all the American History sites

25 Random things about Jefferson
1. He loves to read books
2. He is convinced he can see his muscles growing when he eats vegetables
3. He wears his superhero costume EVERY SINGLE DAY
4. He is really good at Mancala
5. He chooses TicTacs as a treat over any other candies
6. He loves to eat eggs: scrambled, hard boiled, over easy, deviled… any way
7. He can write his own name
8. He knows he’s named after Thomas Jefferson and who he is
9. He watched the presidential inauguration with me and was actually interested
10. He gets upset when I can’t answer his questions about transformers and superheroes… I just don’t know much about them.
11. He is still attached to his blue blankie that was made for him as a baby
12. He wants to marry Reagan and says I need to have another baby so Grant will have someone to marry
13. He wakes up wanting to know the day’s itinerary: what are we doing and when
14. He has to have his back rubbed in order to fall asleep
15. He is a chatterbox and loves talking to family members on the phone
16. He wants to be a policeman and a fireman when he grows up
17. He is a perfectionist. Cries when he doesn’t do his schoolwork properly because he doesn’t think he’ll get a sticker.
18. His favorite movie is Peter Pan and is obsessed with anything Pirate
19. He could watch family home videos all day
20. He just informed me that he wants to learn how to shoot things so he can kill our dinner, and asked me if I knew how make a gun…. NO!!! I promise, boys just come up with this on their own!
21. He is very spiritual and reminds me often when there’s a problem that we can pray and Heavenly Father will help us
22. He always wants to be a helper in the kitchen
23. He notices when I am having a hard day and will come over and hug me and say “I love you Mommy”
24. He wakes up before everyone else, sneaks into the kitchen and eats sweets or ice cream (sounds cute, but really worries me)
25. He is an amazing artist and his art is showcased all around our home and on his siblings

25 Random things about Grant
1. He has a huge birthmark on his back.
2. He isn’t motivated to do things unless you make it competitive
3. He doesn’t like taking baths OR showers; hates getting his face or hair wet
4. He wants to be a fireman when he grows up and “shoot water through a hose”
5. He doesn’t like diapers OR underpants
6. He still doesn’t sleep through the night
7. He has eczema, allergies, and asthma
8. Is allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, pecans, dust, cats, dogs, feathers, trees, grass, and weeds
9. He has used his allergies to his advantage. Example, he will tell us he can’t try his green beans because “they have eggs in them”
10. He won’t eat anything unless his utensils are separated from his food. For example, he will throw a tantrum if you serve his cereal with the spoon already in the bowl.
11. He doesn’t like ANY movie because they all have “bad guys” in them. The only thing he will watch is PBS – apparently it doesn’t have any bad guys.
12. He is completely obsessed with wolves and any story involving wolves
13. He insists on wearing his cowboy boots everywhere
14. He cries every Sunday and says “I don’t like church”, “I don’t like my class”, “I want to go home”
15. He must have his sunglasses in the car with him before we can leave the driveway
16. He is extremely clumsy
17. He does everything Jefferson does
18. When you ask him for a kiss, he’ll give you a lip kiss, butterfly kiss, an Eskimo kiss, and a snot kiss
19. He likes to put on my makeup
20. He was born on his actual due date
21. He is constantly moving
22. He is a good problem solver. He has figured out how to break through all our safety locks
23. He is a really smart boy. He knew all the words to Jefferson’s part in the Primary program before Jefferson did himself
24. He won’t fall asleep without a cup of water next to his bed
25. When anyone is saying a prayer, he repeats everything they say

25 Random things about Reagan
1. She doesn’t sleep through the night
2. She is in the 15th percentile for height and weight
3. She weighs only 19 pounds at almost 13 months old – our smallest baby
4. She loves kissing
5. She cries when she’s not in my arms
6. She adores Jefferson
7. Still hasn’t taken her first step
8. She loves to have her teeth brushed
9. She will eat anything!
10. She goes right to sleep just by laying her down and putting a blanket on her (she likes her head covered too)
11. She does NOT like to be twirled or thrown in the air
12. She already pretends to talk on the phone
13. She gets complimented on her beautiful blue eyes
14. She can climb up and down the stairs herself
15. She stood by herself on her birthday and claps at herself
16. She has never liked a pacifier or a bottle
17. She sleeps with her dolly
18. She chooses to play with boy toys over anything else. And makes boy sound effects
19. She likes to play in the pantry and move things around
20. She squeals in delight when Daddy tickles her
21. She claps with the audience on Oprah and other shows
22. She loves when the boys put on puppet shows for her
23. She hates wearing shoes
24. While visiting at a friend’s home, she was pounced on by their cat who was the same size as her
25. Whenever we take showers she opens the curtain and reaches her body in as far as she can to touch the water. She ends up sopping wet and so does the bathroom.

The Big 1

Our little angel turned 1 on January 8th. I can't believe it. We have enjoyed every single minute of the past 12 months with her (day and night). She has been by far the easiest baby of the 3. She's never been really fussy. And she never cries (unless she's hurt of course). She's so calm tempered, there have been times I've even forgot she was with me. I just adore her! Don't worry, for all you who think I am bragging about my angel of a child, she still wakes 2-3 times a night, so she's not 100% perfect, just 99%

We had a cute little birthday party for her, just our family. During the day we went to "Out of this world" an indoor play place that the kids love. It's perfect because the boys can run around and do whatever they want and can't leave (similar to chucky cheese). There's even a baby area. Reagan loved the slide and wanted to go on it over and over and over. Later we came home and had cake. I couldn't find any candles in my entire house, except for this gigantic one that Ryan (Shawn's brother) brought us home from Mexico. Reagan was really confused. Then, after making the cake I realized that I didn't have any frosting so I had to make some, which didn't taste too good (so if anyone has a really good recipe, I'm interested). I just realized on this day that I have lost my touch. I used to have everything controlled so well. In the perfect mommy world I would have sent out invitations to friends, decorated the house, made a darling cake (with a cute candle of a little girl holding the number 1), taken the most perfect pictures of Reagan, and wrapped her gifts (I sort of did that... if plastic bags count). Or, perhaps this is evidence that I haven't lost my touch at all, and that I have just gotten it. I think that, yes, I can now call myself the textbook mom. The one who has so many things on her mind that she forgets things like candles on her child's cake. This day was actually beautiful for me. I totally let go of the little things and enjoyed Reagan.

She loved her cake and stuffed her face of it. Her favorite gift was a dolly that she kept kissing, feeding, and putting to bed. It's amazing how little kids just instinctualy know what to do with baby dolls. Reagan was truly the princess of the day!

Christmas highlights

This could also be labeled "the most pictures in one post." I was having such a hard time narrowing down my favorite pictures from Christmas that I decided to just put them all on, sorry.
Christmas break was the funnest 2 weeks we've ever had as a family! We left Oregon right after Shawn's finals (and when our chains arrived UPS) just in time to escape the biggest snow storm this area has had since 1965. Driving 11 hours through the night proved NOT to be as peaceful as we thought, since the kids didn't fall asleep until 2am. But it was worth it. Here are some of our highlights:

Here's the kids with Veronica. She works with my mom and adores the kids, and they love her! Visiting her is like visiting Santa at the North Pole.

We spent our first week staying with the Skinners. We stayed up late playing games and laughing while the kids ran around with their cousins. Late nights and lots of sugar is what makes Christmas break so much fun! Everyone (minus kids) out to eat.

Our favorite cousin picturesPURE JOY!The whole cousin clanI had to throw this picture in because my husband is just so handsome! I was able to get together with my best friends growing up, boy I've missed these girls!
Here's our kiddos, minus my boys because I wouldn't dare bring them somewhere I actually wanted to relax and enjoy. We had dinner and caught up with the Swarbricks, who we just love! Here's Grant with their daughter, Cadance. Seriously, from all this talk, you'd think we've been gone for years. We just really do miss everyone, and 7 months feels like years!
Of course, opening presents was a major highlight!Grant with his PapaThis was Reagan's first Christmas and here she is opening her first gift ever.We spent our second week with my mom, who only lives 10 minutes from the Skinners, so we really didn't have to travel far. Reagan with Uncle IanReagan with her Aunt Bobbie. She really warmed up to both our families, considering the last time she saw anyone was when she was 4 months old. Here she is with her Uncle Ryan.Reagan and her cousin Taven.The Skinner's have a tradition of acting out the Nativity scene on Christmas Eve. This year Jefferson got to be Joseph. This is what Shawn looked like for most of our Christmas vacation. I cut him a little slack because he did just complete his first semester of Optometry school. He's got to enjoy what rest he can get before he starts the next 9.

Christmas was a blast! We'll see you all next year (wow, that sounds sad). I'm sure we'll make an excuse to go down to California before a year, at least I hope.

We thought the day would never come

Reagan turns 1 year old tomarrow and still shows no signs of walking. Other babies her age are at least standing, or walking while holding onto someone's hands, NOT REAGAN. The boys both walked on their birthdays. So just as I said to Shawn "I guess the trend is over, I don't think Reagan will be walking by tomarrow" I looked across the room and saw her standing up on her own. We were all so excited that she kept doing it over and over again. There just may be a possibility of her walking tomarrow (at least a step or two).

My homemade holiday

We decided not to spend much money this year on Christmas gifts. At first I was worried and didn't know what to do for the kids. But, then I got really into the idea and had a TON of fun making things. I want to share some of the things I made.
Grant got a basket full of play food and a picnic blanket, all made of felt. I bought the patterns for the vegetables and fruit, then realized how easy it is to make (trust me, it is). I have so many more ideas and can't wait to make more. Grant also got a travel racecar track. It has pockets to hold a couple cars and folds open to reveal two race tracks. This was inspired by another clever mom.

I Spy bags I made from scrap fabric and small trinkets I collected at goodwill. Crayon rolls. I used this tutorial. I made Reagan's to fit the larger crayons.

Bean Bags

Reagan got a colorful lot of balls made from scrap fabric (wow, that scrap fabric really came in handy!) I used this tutorial and pattern.

I made Jefferson this felt pirate map after seeing this picture on flickr. Mine has button holes in it though. I made several pirate landmarks: bubbling volcano, mermaid lagoon, quicksand.... that Jefferson can button onto his map, which makes it interactive and more fun. Here it is all buttoned up.

The kids loved everything and it cost us virtually nothing. Just my time, but I really do have a lot of it. This is a glimps of what you can really acomplish when your kids are in bed by 7:30 and your husband stays up until midnight studying every night.