Grandma - look @ what book I'm reading now!

Yes, it's the dictionary.

Rebecca was reading "Vocabulary Builder," but wouldn't hold still for me to get a picture. Instead she said to me (as she was running away), "No - too bad!" What a little turkey!!!

P.S. Aren't parents supposed to be smarter than their children for at least a few more years??? Mary-Gail & Rebecca turned 2 1/2 years old yesterday!!! What am I going to do when Mary-Gail asks me the definition of a word that I can't even pronounce, let alone properly use in a sentence?

Rebecca's shark bite

Sunday, May 24th, Tony was off to Bishopric Meetings, and I was home playing with Rebecca & Mary-Gail in our bedroom. Rebecca & Mary-Gail love jumping off of anything and having Tony & Me catch them. Since I was flying solo, I had the girls take turns jumping off our bed (they usually like to jump @ the same time even if there is only one "catcher"). I had just caught Rebecca & was tickling her with my left arm, while I was catching Mary-Gail with my right, and YIKES! I felt a terrible pinch on the inside of my upper left arm...Rebecca had just bitten me.

Look @ that little shark bite!

It has since turned into a little bruise, which I like to look at

:)

Pap's

The girls & I are starting up our biking again. I should say I am starting to bike again while the Kemp Kuties get to sit in the bike trailer and tell me to, "Go faster, Mommy. Go faster."

We are so very lucky & blessed to live only one-mile from Pap's' house. The girls & I pack a lunch & bike down to visit him. Pap's has the Incredible animated figures, which the girls love. The first thing they do after I unload them, and after they race to give Pap's kisses, they dart into his house and b-line straight to Pappy's toys. Mary-Gail always has "Mr. Incredible" (she & Becca call Lovey, "Daddy-Credible") and Rebecca has "Baby Jack-Jack." Pap's used to have "Dash" & "Elastigirl," but those two have since gone missing (they were missing before my girls discovered Incredibles).

Last week Pap's gave the girls a treat for our bike ride home - suckers! Oh my goodness, they both loved their suckers!!! And while they were sucking on their suckers in the bike trailer, Pap's & I were walking to the street. Mary-Gail says to me, "Get on it, Mommy! Get on it [the bike]." Pap's laughed at Mary-Gail's command, and said, "You've got two just like you." Yeah, I know I do, and I'm in trouble. Luckily I didn't receive any more commands from either of the girls - their mouths were occupied :)

Carly is here!!!

My baby sister (I still call her that, you know) is here for a very short visit. Carly & hubs, Spencer, drove the 12 hours to Utah, arriving on Tuesday - but leave us next Tuesday. So far we've visited @ Mom's house - our safety zone, meeting place, our home-away-from-home - visited with Pappy & perused through Grandma Brown's collection (and I do mean collection!) of jewelry, and yesterday we (Me, Jo, & Car) stole away to Park City for some outlet shopping. Oh - it's so good to have sisters!!!

Standing in the corner

Mary-Gail has been spending quite a bit of time standing in the corner these days. She likes saying the word, "STUPID," and she knows - she knows - that we don't say that word. Still, she says, "Stupid Mommy, stupid Mommy. Stupid Daddy." And then, and here's the kicker, she says - with a smile on her face no less - "Stand in corner?... OK!" and then heads to stand the corner. Rebecca, who doesn't need to stand in the corner, will go and stand in the corner w/Mary-Gail. But that only happens when Mary-Gail isn't crying (she cries when I put her in the corner for hitting, which is happening a lot these days too).

Another thing Mary-Gail says, and Tony & I bust up laughing each time she says it, is "Ahhh, Crap! Ahhh, Crap!" And she'll say it in a rough, deep voice. Where did she learn that word, you ask? From me....Ahhh, crap! Not cute at all, I know...I know.

Chrisman's new dog!

JoJo caved - she got Jed a dog for his birthday. After nearly 8-years of wanting a dog, and meetin all of JoJo's requirements - finish school, get a job, buy a house, have a family - there were no more excuses/reasons not to have a dog. So, JoJo caved and bought Jed a dog. they got a Chocolate Lab, who is 8 weeks old, and named him Coco.

Let's be clear here - it is HIS dog. Jed gets to feed the dog, potty-train the dog, house/kennel train the dog (oh, he's an outside/garage dog), pick up the dog's poop...basically everything that Jo's been doing since Gage was born :). Have fun Jed!

Watch what Taylor-Bug does with the rock she's holding:

...and into her mouth it goes!

Coco taking a nap. I couldn't resist - I'm a dog lover!

And this little critter will be ONE in one week!

BeccaBecca & her Pappy, or "Paps" as she calls him now.

Grandma's house is always fun. Lots of toys (hooray for yard sales!) and of course, the trampoline. But what we really love is spending time with family. So glad everyone (almost...sniffle, sniffle,...Jason & CarCar) are close.

NICU Reunion

Saturday, May 16th, Rebecca & Mary-Gail went to a party - the NICU Graduation party. This was our 3rd time attending the celebration. These pictures bring back a flood of memories & emotions. Rebecca & Mary-Gail came home (finally) on February 16, 2007, after spending 3 months living in the NICU. Their 1st NICU party was June 2007. Mary-Gail's oxygen & apnea/bradia monitors had been DC'd the previous month, so we didn't have to lug the O2 tank/backpack with us or the monitors. What a relief (for her and us)!

THEN... June 2007

Annie Miller, our Occupational Therapist (fabulous!!); Tony; Lori, the Parent Support Coordinator (I now volunteer w/her on Tuesday nights) w/Rebecca; and Me w/Mary-Gail

Me, Mary-Gail, Emily (one of our favorite NICU nurses) w/Rebecca,

and Pam (our other favorite NICU nurse)

Can you believe my girls were "chunky" (relatively speaking)

Pam, our other favorite NICU nurse, holding Mary-Gail

(2008 - brought camera, but forgot to take pictures. UGH!)

NOW... May 16, 2009

One of the NICU nurses, Trudy, commented that my girl's smile just

like me - they show all of their teeth. Too bad neither of the girls are smiling in this pic.

I remember telling our Pediatrician to put a feeding tube back in Mary-Gail. The child just wouldn't eat! Now, she shovels the food into her mouth (some of the time)

Pam - our most wonderful NICU nurse!!

(Emily moved to DC in 2007 and is a NICU @ a hospital there)

Rebecca & Mary-Gail's first snow cones + Daddy

Rebecca's lollipop had a red dot on the bottom of the stick... so

she won an inflatable ball

Mary-Gail's lollipop didn't have a dot, but she didn't care - she just

wanted her sucker: "Miguel's sucker!"

Mary-Gail jumping in puddles. The child is drawn to anything that will get her dirty!

Lori always does a fabulous job at decorating and ensuring games, food, and adventures are available for everyone at any ability level. I was able to help set up some of the decorations last year (it was an outdoor/camping theme - so cute!) and this year I helped set up again. I really enjoy spending my Tuesday nights (when I can & when Tony comes home from Bishopric meeting @ a reasonable hour) volunteering w/Lori. There is something about continuing the connection with the NICU & encouraging other parents (especially parents of twins!).

Jessica's visit

My beautiful friends, Jessica & Ashley, came to play at my house on Thursday! Jessica & husband, plus their two handsome twin boys, were visiting from DC for the week, so Ashley & I planned a little get-together for us. I can't remember the last time we all were together - was it Ashley's wedding in Feb '06? All of us were pre-kids then, and now we have 5 kids under the age of 2 1/2! Wow!

Ashley brought homemade ice cream - Lemon Lavender & Strawberry. Delicious!! I have to say I monopolized the Strawberry (like 4 helpings - my sugar cone was so soggy by the time I actually ate it!). And all of the kidlets loved having their own little cone to eat too.

We played in our backyard, enjoyed the shade, and had a fabulous time discussing life, jobs, children, what they eat & won't eat, and how wonderful and happy everyone looked. Ah, those few hours were so great. My friends rejuvenate me.

How beautiful are these two women! Jessica & Asher; Ashley & Mary-Gail

Ice Cream Cone time...

Mary-Gail is so so so slow @ eating ice cream cones - they always drip & melt everywhere. This picture shows her trying to spit out grass from her mouth - she was licking the ice cream drips off the patio! I'm sure she got more than just grass clippings in her mouth too!

More ice cream drips, this time on her knee.

ArlaMae is standing by for any drips that she can take care of

Jessica, Brian (Ashley's hubs) & Eli, & Ashley - all looking at the girl & boy twins playing

Soren & his ice cream cone. His face is saying, "Listen Lady,

you've already had 4 helpings of ice cream. This cone is mine!"

I love children and their discovery of new toys! Asher enjoyed pushing the shopping cart.

I think he gets that from his mom (Jessica) and her love of going to Wegman's :) :) :)

Jessica discussing something with Soren

And Jumping time...

We blew up the jumper (the girl's b-day present last year) and let the kids jump their little hearts out. They had a blast.

Asher was so comical on the jumper!

Asher, Rebecca, & Soren jumping!

Rebecca & Asher knocked into each other, Asher fell down and Rebecca made sure he was OK as he got up. Just shows her tender & caring heart.

Eli W. Baker - those kids are crazy!

And swinging time...

Ashley pushing Soren & Eli on the swings

And in joins Rebecca...

...And in joins Mary-Gail...

(I love Rebecca's excited face)

...And in joins Asher.

The Boy Triplets: Soren, Eli, Asher

And Signing Time...

We calmed down with "Welcome to School," a Signing Time DVD. All our kids watch Signing Time - it's great!

Mary-Gail will say, "Watch Rachel!" Or she'll say, "What time is it?"

The 5 little loves of our lives: Mary-Gail, Eli, Rebecca, Asher, & Soren