No Self Esteem Problems Here

Just watch my children's reactions when they realize they are on camera.





Other funny things they've said recently:

When I asked Andrew to stop running at his preschool because we shouldn't run in a church (he attends the Methodist preschool) he stopped and said, "But this is not the real church of Heavenly Father."

Willa is obsessed with looking for birds everywhere (even inside buildings) and has started dragging her stuffed animals to the window, saying, "C'mon, c'mon, see birdie, tweet tweet," and propping them up so their heads are looking outside.

While I was trying to get Andrew to eat (yet again), he was arguing passionately in his defense. He said, "No, Mommy, just listen to my appointment."

Last week when Willa saw her Easter dress she said, "Oooh, pretty dress" over and over while she started ripping off her clothes to put it on. Then she walked around in her dress saying, "Pretty. Pretty. Pretty." What a diva.

Happy 4th Birthday Andrew!

Casey's Birthday

California Dreamin'

We just got home from visiting family in California. Thanks to everyone for taking time out of your schedules to spend time with us. We had a great time and we miss everyone!

Before we even got out of the airport, Andrew began asking Papa to make a cake. Obviously, Papa obliged.



We LOVE the cousins!







Casey put a bunch of kids shows on his blackberry to entertain the little monsters on the plane. Now every time Willa sees him she marches up, lifts up his shirt (Casey keeps his blackberry on his belt) and demands "Tubbies". And somehow after creating this essential diversion, Casey managed to avoid being on the plane at the same time as her...




We were going to take the kids to Disneyland for a day, but they were so wiped out after just an afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese that we rethought that plan.




Who needs Disneyland when you have paper airplanes?



After all that fun with airplanes, sometimes you just need to snuggle in bed together and watch a little "G.I. Joe" on the portable DVD player.






We spent Grandpa Randle's and Aunt Jenny's birthday at Legoland (just what every 57- and 14-year-old dream about...). Andrew rocked out with the pirates.














If you thought all those lego creations were indestructible, you haven't met our little boy. Here he is sizing up Thomas...



...and unfortunately Mom caught him mid-karate kick -- but not before Thomas lost a few pieces.




Our friend Lisa Radden hooked us up with tickets to the Auto Club 500 in Fontana while we were there. Oh yes, we are part of Nascar Nation.

Surprises

I spend so much of my time saying -- okay, yelling -- "No! Stop that! Put that down! Come here right now!" and so on, that I sometimes wonder if there must be something wrong with me rather than my kids. But every now and again my kids do something to completely amaze me. Like these smiley faces Andrew is holding. He has never been remotely interested in coloring, drawing, or doing anything that requires him sitting still for more than a few seconds at a time. If forced to color at church or school, he scribbles a few quick lines and runs away. And then one day I was cleaning up the kids' art table and saw these two pieces of paper, just sitting there, and realized that Andrew had, of his own accord, sat down at the table and unceremoniously drawn his first faces. I know it's a little thing, but I don't know if I have ever been more proud of him. I mean, just look at the hair on those faces!