Christmas Help!

For Christmas I have requested church bags for each of my girls from Santa. It is so hard to keep them occupied during sacrament meeting. We have it last and it's right during nap time and we do everything but tap dance for them, and I have thought about it several times. I have decided to ask Santa for a bag for each of them stuffed full of stuff for them to do and things we need and then they go in the closet so the only thing I should have to change out should be treats. Here is where I'm kind of stuck. Santa asked what I would like in the bag here is a list that I have...

*HAND SANITIZER (now that Stella will be going to nursery we will need this after class)

*Water bottles/ cups with a drink

*Diaper wipes (this is not just for dirty diapers. Love these things)

*Colored pencils/ coloring book

*Sticker books

*Magna Doodle (mini)

*Treat bags

*Magnetic princess dolls

Any other ideas that you use and work for you? I really dread Sundays because I know we'll be fighting with kids the whole time. I do make Molly wait till after the sacrament for any toy, treat, or anything else... That is kind of soft being as we are just trying to keep our kids quiet!

Speaking of... here are some of my ideas for treats that I've used

*Pretzels

*Yogurt chips

*Fruit snacks or stickers (we got that from Brooke B.)

*String cheese

*Goldfish

*Marshmallows

I'm really looking for healthy snacks... any other ideas?

Please Help! Santa Would Really Appreciate It!

House For Sale!

Monday morning I was temped to put a sign in the front yard. For the 2nd time in 2 months that our basement has flooded. Remember this... http://therosanderfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/with-home-ownership-comes.html

Ya well this time we got this...

Water all over the wood floor in front and underneath the refrigerator.

Water pooring out of the celing and bulging all the way down half of the basment celing.

The seem that spilt where my water fountain was coming out of.

The bucket that was this full with in the 20 to 30 min after I found the water.

All the buckets, towels and shop vac that I had out to help me clean up and catch the mess.

So here's the story:

Monday morning I came out of my room shortly after Kris left and was puttering around the kitchen and family room doing a quick pick up and getting the girls breakfast, when I heard a funny water running sound. I was just thinking it was Molly in the bathroom washing her hands, but it wasn't fitting. I started to walk around the kitchen (stepping over the towel Kris had put on the floor to clean up water that was on the floor when he came out) I could tell it was coming from downstairs and though it might just be the water heater, but it just sounded funny. I went down to check it out and water was POURING out of the ceiling. It wasn't just a drip it was a full on faucet on full blast coming form the ceiling. I stood there for half a sec and figured it was not on the side of the house where the bathrooms are so it was not coming from the bathroom. I also checked the floor in our workout room (where the last flood was, no water). Then I remebered the towel on the floor infront of the refrigerator. I put buckets down to catch the main stream of water and I ran upstairs and tried to pull the refrigerator out, but couldn't get it out. I opened the freezer and there was no ice in my ice bucket just water it was so full it was spilling out. i got a cup and started to empty it until I could pull it out with out too much damage. I tried Kris at work but he was busy. So I called my mom... Still trying to pull out the refrigerator by myself. She assured me that I had to get the refrigerator out. I told her I would call her back. I called my sweet neighbor from across the street and asked if she could come help me... I think my adrenalin kicked in because just after I got of the phone with her I got it out. I turned off the water coming to the fridge and called my friend back to tell her not to worry (being as she was tying to get her son off to school.) I got back downstairs and started the clean up. I got towels down, more buckets and then started to suck up everything I could with the shop vac. Meanwhile every time I came upstairs I had another drawer emptied on the floor, more messes and more work. The girls were loving having free reign over my house. Margaret my sweet friend came over with her shop vac and itsy bitsy baby and helped me out. I think I had gotten most of it up and I think I was really lucky to catch it when I did... the floor didn't suffer too much damage. We did have to pull up the carpet to dry it and the mat out but we were really lucky. Did I mention it's new carpet! We have spent so much time effort and money in the basement and we have worked so hard the last 3 weeks. I had just told Kris on Sunday night "This feels so good. I feel like we have really made progress. It's looking really good." Oh boy eat my words. So long story made short apparently it was our icemaker (we still need the plumber to come and give us the affirmative on that and make sure that's the only thing) soaked through the fridge, out of the drip pan though the wood floor the walls sheetrock and on to the floor. Like I said we were lucky to not have damage to our floor. I did have to dry out the couch as well it was leaking out of the lights and on to the couch, but it all dried just fine the sheetrock will have to all be redone. We have to have the wood floor replaced at worse and refinished at best (they still need to come and look.) and we need a new ice maker way small part, but still is $250! I would have paid that first over now thinking we need to make a insurance clame... AWESOME!

You know if this would have happend a month ago it wouldn't have been such a big deal to me, but we have worked so hard and it had been really difficult and I have felt so sick and still tried to work down there and I just feel like 50 steps forward 100 steps back. We now get to redo everything we had done... and we still are not done so we still have the remaining stuff... back at square one! Monday night I just cried! I'm doing better, but still fell really defeated. I think the other thing is that money really could have been put somewhere else fun that I wanted it... my chairs, cabinets, I can go on and on and Kris reminds me it's not me paying for it... but what he doesn't understand is that I am! I know he makes the money, but I would have like it other places. Well what do you do? pick yourself up brush yourself off and keep going. I know in the eternal scheme of things this is really nothing to worry or fret about, but you know I feel like I have sacrificed time with my kids, work out time, health and much more to work on this project and I should have just sat at the toilet and flushed the money down!

Stella Stats 15 Months

Length: 32 in 82%

Weight: 21 lb 3 oz 18%

Head Circumference: 48 cm 92%

Stella got some shots even with her lingering cold,

and she did so great. She cried for at the most 20 sec after.

She was so good bless her little heart.

Hib, Diphtheria Tetanus & Pertussis,

and Pneumococcal Conjugate.

A few things about Stella right now are...

*A few Words. They are kind of hard to understand, but I get them. Momma, daddy, diaper, blankie, & dog

*She has figured out how to Climb up on the couch and chairs and other things (lots of ouwies)

*She is loving giving Kisses. She is so cute, it's mostly open mouth. Still cute.

*She is great at letting us know how she feels, mostly with Tantrums. Oh and they are good.

*She is getting more leery of others around her that she doesn't know.

*She only Sleeps through the night when she is sick. Really this is no lie. She has never really been a good sleeper.

*She is wanting to Feed herself, this can be messy and really not pretty, but she is determined to do it herself.

*She is such a Tease. She will come running around the corner with Molly close behind her screaming because Stella has taken Mollys blanket. Stella has her own, but she just likes to tease Molly so she likes to take Molly's for the reaction.

*Along with Molly's blanket she loves her own Pink & Brown Blankie.

*Stella's nick name "Hurricane Stella" The thing about Stella is she is quiet and by the time you know she is there she has really torn things apart.

*She loves to go though and pull our everything in Drawers.

*She loves the Toilet and putting things in and pulling things out. I caught her in my toilet stirring in the water with my hair brush... Nice!

*She is a Screamer. When she's happy, mad, grumpy, when she wants something, thrilled... She loves to scream and she is Loud!

*She loves Necklaces. She loves to play in my closet with all of my necklaces, she has broken 2 and I try to watch her so she won't get in them. She has some play ones all her own and she walks around like she is Hot Stuff. She is so funny.

*She is very much the Spice in our family. Often times in our house you will hear the "STELLA!" Followed by "ARE U KIDDING ME?" "AUA!" She is just a goer and she just never stops. I just really don't know what we would do with out this little one. We feel blessed that she came to our family!

Funny Sayings.

Molly has had a few funny things to say lately and I just had to get them down before I forget them.

-Stella was crying about something (this is something we are used to hearing at our house) but Molly asked "Mommy, why is Stella crying?" I told her that she was crying because... (what ever she was crying about) and Molly responded "No Mommy, Stella is crying because she is so sad she doesn't have another sister." The thing that mad this so funny was I have been sick for 2 days down and out on the couch. I have not been able to do much of anything for my girls and it totally brought back memories of when I was pregnant. and as long as I can remember what it's like, I don't think there is a 3rd baby in the mix for a long time. Not that I wouldn't love another baby (even though I struggle with just the 2 that I have) but it's that Stella is so demanding right now and with her personality and her age there is no way that I can spend 6-9 months on the bathroom floor. That is why this was so funny to me.

-Molly asks everyday "Mommy, where are we going tomorrow." No lie! she asks this every day! So last night she asked if we were going anywhere? Being as we have all been sick we have not left the house for 3 days. So I told her we were going somewhere tomorrow and she said

"Are we going to Ikea, or Grandmas house, Those are your 2 options."

She is so funny! She just cracks me up.

RC Willey

Due to our flooding downstairs in the workout room we have had to replace the floor. We decided to go with RC Willey being as we had credit there from a prior return. We were sitting down to dinner on Tuesday night and Kris' phone started to ring. I looked at the number and told Kris what the number was and he said "Oh it's probably RC Willey." Randomly Molly from out of no where said... "Your home your way!" Kris and I both shocked and laughing said what? She said... "RC Willey, Your home your way." how funny is that that she know the slogan for RC Willey. She is such a crack up. She is always saying little things like that that you would just not expect to come out of a 3 year old mouth. She is so funny and we love it, and her. What would we do with out her?

Halloween Day/ Night '09

Grandma & Stella

Wee Wee the best Bowler in the house!;)

Sweet Eleanor!

Molly is scared to death of dogs, but as long as Eleanore was sleeping Molly LOVED her.

I love him!

Oh this sweet face... how can you resist?

Fishing

Dad & Mom

Cyd & Brade

Cameron, Sierra, Eleanor, & Tanya

Abby, Josi, McKay, & Kimball

Wee Wee & Kat

This was such a fun day! We decided to have a Halloween party and it was a blast! My mom is just so much fun and put all of these fun things together for all of us. (I'm sure my sisters helped as well). We got there about 1, well were supposed to but it seemed like we were all running a little late. She had Sloppy Joe's for lunch (a Halloween dinner tradition) she had cut the cheese into the face of a jack o lantern and then we played our games. We broke up into 2 teams and started off with the candy corn toss... my team... VICTORIOUS, our prize was a candy lay. We went pumpkin bowling and then on to the fishpond... my kids totally scored... Stella got a play phone, Molly a Strawberry shortcake polly pocket Kris and I scored as well movie tickets. Yea Date Night! Oh my kids loved it. Then we decorated cookies and made carmel apples. Oh everything tasted so good and it was so much fun. I love that all of us dressed up:)

Dad: Cowboy

Mom: Minnie

Kris: BIG tourist

Me: Witch

Molly: Witch

Stella: Witch

Cameron: Vampire

Sierra: Postal worker

Tanya: Attacked Postal worker

Eleanor: Had this cute little skirt on, she looked adorable.

Cydne: Chinese Girl

Braden: Louigi

Katheryn: Cowgirl

Whitney: Indian

The Manning kids were so cute. Molly loved spending time with them.

After the party we were on our way home and stopped at a few houses being the Moultons, He is so cute. He had driven by our house earlier that day and told us to make sure to bring Molly up. We stopped and they had large candy bars and 20oz cokes. Holy Cow! Then due to falling apart Stella and I came home and Kris took Molly over to his parents. We only hit 2 other houses in the neighborhood. I really am loving this not quite getting trick or treating, one day I will have to go and I'm sure I will love it, but it's really nice to just hit a few houses and enjoy our night at home. What a fun year. Thanks to Mom for putting that party together. So fun!

The Line....

OK let me explain this picture. The line went all the way up to the arrow which was almost the whole street and then it went back towards the building and then the whole length of the building till you got to the back and then they let you in to get your shot. I should have taken a picture behind me. It went back down to the parking lot the whole length of the building and then hit the back of the parking lot and wound back out the parking lot to the street. I should have taken the picture of where we started but my girls were going crazy and that was my focus. This was when we were about half way!

Molly with her sad face. Bless her little heart.

Molly pouting and Stella sleeping (finally)

WHAT WAS THE LINE FOR...

It's the new Harry Potter Movie....

It's the premier of New Moon....

It's Black Friday....

NO IT'S THE H1N1 FLU VACCINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had gone to our pediatricians office the other day to get the girls their seasonal flu shot and the Dr. told me to stop worrying about the seasonal and focus on the H1N1. He told me that they are not seeing seasonal flu they are seeing Swine Flu. So they gave me a # to call to get the info of where they are holding clinics and the first one I found was being held this last Friday from 10-5, but the lady told me I should be early because they only have a limited amount. So Friday morning I got the girls up and got their coats and blankets and the stroller and we stopped at MacDonald's for some pancakes and some hot chocolate and then headed over to the clinic. When I first drove by I was flabbergasted to say the least by the size of line. It went around the whole building and then went inside. I got in line and got the girls fed and kind of settled when I looked at my phone it said 9:20. We stood in line outside in the weather that was about 35 degrees. Holy cow it was freezing. Poor Stella screamed almost the whole time and Molly wasn't happy about this long line and the cold weather. It did kind of snow for a little bit and that did brighten Molly's mood but It was such a joke. About 2 hours into it I did get Stella asleep for about a half hour (that's when I got the pictures, I wouldn't have been able to get them other wise.) We finally got into the building about 1:20 and then walked out with the girls shots at 1:39! Was it worth it waiting 4 hours outside with my two crazy girls that wanted to get out and cried almost the whole time... (there were a lot of kids, but mine definitely made an impression. I had people asking me if I wanted them to try to hold Stella and offering us food and everyone looking at us...) My poor girls were freezing. I really do think they did OK for the circumstance. Poor Stella has so much energy and needed to be down and play and that just couldn't happen where we were. There were parking lots on all sides and one off the main road that hit the other side... there was nowhere for her to play that I felt I would keep her safe. I'm sure we'll all get colds, but at least we shouldn't get the swine flu. There were lots of people that came after us and the line was huge I think from what I heard they did cut the line off and tell people that they weren't letting anyone else in line, but I think most of us that had waited got the shot. Oh boy! If this is what we have to look forward to with Socialized Medicine that is just AWESOME!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow... Please Let It Snow!

Molly has been asking me for weeks when it's going to snow. Oh my goodness. She is so funny. So she woke up the other morning and was so disappointed it hadn't snowed when we had told her it was going to. We had to hurry and get her ready for school and as I was directing her into the bathroom to do her hair she caught a glimpse of out her bedroom window and it was snowing! Oh my! You would have thought she had died and gone to heaven... I don't know that it will be that loud in heaven, but she was elated! She was dancing around and singing and started to beg to go outside and play in the snow. We got all of her snow stuff packed for preschool and then headed to school. When I went to pick her up she threw a huge fit about going home. When I finally got her settled down and in the car she explained that they hadn't gone outside to play in the snow yet and that she couldn't go home yet. She is so funny, but because of the massive meltdown we had and others that followed it on the 3 or 4 block ride home she ended up taking a nap. When she got up she kept begging to go outside, but I was working on dinner and had so many other things to do and get done. Kris got home at 5 and we ate dinner and then Kris cleaned up the kitchen (I know the perfect man) and I got Stella in the tub. I told Molly that she could go outside with daddy and I would finish getting Stella ready for bed. After Stella's bath and jammies I got Molly in all of her snow gear and Kris got in his and they headed outside to play in the snow. Stella and I could see them though the window and I put Stella in her snow clothes and got mine on and we headed out as well. Kris and Molly made an adorable little snow man and Stella and Molly were loving the snow. Molly didn't want to come inside at all. Finally it was dark and we got her to come in for some hot chocolate and said prayers and sent them off to bed happier than I think she has been in weeks. She is so funny. Molly loves the snow and was so cute all day long begging to play in it. I just feel bad that I waited so long to get her out there. I think we have a snow lover at our house!