Last Day Of School Blues!

You know I'm kind of excited about having Molly done with school. She is really a great little helper and Stella loves her so much so having her around is always a good thing. I also have to admit that although we do have some summer activities that will get us up and going some days I'm really looking forward to those lazy days that we can just get up and kind of chill and get some of the thing I would like to get done, like cleaning up rooms and making beds just the everyday stuff, I'm just looking forward to the more relaxed mornings as opposed to the craziness of up and run, run, run.

Although I'm excited Molly dose not share that same enthusiastic welcome of summer. Don't get me wrong... she is thrilled to be going to Lake Powell and swimming at Nan and Pa's, and the excitement of welcoming a new baby into our family, but she is so sad that school is over for the summer. Last year she totally didn't get it until about a week into summer when we still hadn't gone back and she was still begging to go back. This year.... totally got it! Her last day was Thursday and when we were out and about on Wednesday there were about 3 times she would burst into tears for no reason at all (it appeared). When I would ask her what was wrong she would just sob and say that she didn't want tomorrow to be her last day of school. I chalked it up to being tired and a good nights sleep would make it all better. So I go to pick her up from school and her teacher saw me and gave me this really sad look and said...."We are just having a hard time." I asked if she was crying because it was the last day of school... and this was confirmed to me by the teacher. Oh my gosh!!!!! When she came out she was hysterical! It was kind of funny, cute, and really sad all at the same time. She just kept saying "I don't want this to be my last day of preschool." I told her we had her friends numbers and we could call and play with them this summer and this didn't help. We took some pictures of her with her friends and this still wasn't helping... She was inconsolable. Honestly I love that she loves school so much. She did get smiling when her teacher made her a new dog balloon. But all day yesterday she would have her little spats of sadness.

Earlier that day we had gone to her last preschool program.... REalLy! Is my oldest done with preschool already? Where has the time gone? I am in total shock! We have loved our preschool and are so excited for Stella to go there next year and for Molly to go to kindergarten. I'm really amazed at how fast time has gone!

My Little Swimmers!

Molly and Stella have been talking swimming lessons for quite a while. It is so fun to see them gain more confidence in their own abilities as swimmers and how they continue to improve. It seemed that we were at a standstill for a while, but they are looking really great! Love this picture of them together in the pool.

Maskers and Brains!

Today I was doing Molly's hair and and put a braid in the front to keep the hair out of her face and she was so funny! When I got done she looked at me and with a huge smile on her face she said...

"Mommy, thank you for putting the brain in my hair."

She just kept talking about how much she liked brains (braids) and on and on. No matter how many times I told her what a braid was and what a brain was she just kept calling her braid a brain.

She was also talking about how she was going to get balloon animals today at school for the last day and how she was going to get a kittie, but the teacher couldn't put "maskers" on it. I loved this line...

"but maybe I will ask my teacher if she can put maskers on it, but I don't think that she can."

Just in case you were wondering it's whiskers.

Lovin This Boy!

He is the most amazing husband and father and I just feel lucky to call him my best friend. Sat he woke up and got on the treadmill and then got the girls to work in helping clean up the house. He told them that we could go have a picnic after the house was all cleaned up. The girls were good to help and then it was off to a new park for a picnic and play. After we came home and he was out the door with the girls to the church parking lot to help the girls fly their kites despite the really dark clouds and sprinkle. When it started to rain he was still out there helping them out... When the lightning started I took Stella who is scared to death of thunder and we headed home. Molly and Kris came later. Then we all went to dinner at Iceberg. The girls just thought that that was the greatest thing ever. What a fun dad! He makes everything so much fun and we are all glad when daddy comes home, or has a day off! We can't get enough of him! I'm glad I have him forever. I hear lots of women who are worried about when their husband retire... For me that day can't come soon enough! Love you Babe!

Stella Post!

I realize in all of this catching up there are a lot of funny little Molly stories and things she has said, but I don't want to miss out on what is going on with little Stell Bell.

She is my crazy child she is gone in a flash and has no fear which equals total nut case for mom! I'm always holding her hand or wrist so tight because if she takes off I know with my back I stand no chance in catching her. There have been countless times she has escaped and ended up in the street. She is the life of the party, and if there is no party, well she creates it! We have recently put the girls in the same room and that has just about killed me. She has never been a sleeper and now that she has the freedom of a bed she can get in and out of, well lets just say she is out of it more than she is in it! I have gone in on several occasions and Molly will be totally out of it drooling all over her pillow and Stella has the shutters open and will be sitting on Molly's bed playing with barbies or polly's or just looking at books. She is so funny! It has gotten a little bit better lately lets hope we stay on this path.

Stella is one of the most modest people ever! There is Molly who wonders why I hold a towel up at the pool when she is getting out of her swim suit and into her clothes. Then there is stella who refused to have her diaper changed (expecially in front of boys) with others around, or even change her clothes. She will hide in her closet to put her pj's on at night so "nobody see me naked". As modest as she is she is in LOVE with her swim suits. she will put them on everyday (it's between that or a fancy dress, sunday is the only day of the week I don't have to fight her to get ready). She Loves to swim and is obsessed with it. She is always ready and asking when her next swim lesson is the sec she gets out of the pool.

She is Birthday obsessed! I will be in a store any store at all it could be the grocery store and she will say "Oh I really really really want that for my birthday! Can I have that for my birthday, really I want that! Please!" all of this before I can even respond. My response always... "We'll have to see!" she is always talking about what she will do for her birthday, what she will eat, the kind of cake she wants and on and on. I know that this probably comes from Molly. Molly is the same way and I think that come form preschool. I'm glad that I have 2 little girls who love their birthdays! I can't believe that my baby will be 3 in a few months.

Along with the crazy she is my sweet and sensitive one. She is always the first one to say thank you for dinner or anything for that matter. She is always excited about the little things I try to do for them. And when I carry her in form the car she pulls her little legs up and wraps her arms so tight around my neck I feel like I'm holding a little monkey! I love it! Really one of my favorite moments! But don't try to push any affection on her or from her.... it is on her terms and her terms only. She can be a turkey when she tells me "you are the worst mommy ever!" or Kris that "you are the worst daddy ever!" but she can also be the sweetest when she will say "I have the best daddy ever ever ever!" She wants to be just like her older sister and keep up with what she is doing. If fact the other day I was working on articles of faith with molly and Stella was in the kitchen with Kris saying one. Kris said "i think she could get this one" so with about 5 extra min of work with Stella she had the 10th article of faith memorized! That is not an easy one either! Just now she was going with Kris to pick Molly up form school and said "If you need us call us!" I just can't believe that my baby is growing up so fast! I love this little girl! I'm glad that she is ours! I'm a lucky mom!

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Easter 2011!

This was a crazy Easter I think that Stella and I had a little bug and weren't feeling super great. but the girls were lucky to have such a great dad! So while I had a girls day out he took the girls to an egg hunt and then they decorated eggs and he got them all ready for bed! Really I have the most amazing and supportive husband ever! I was so glad that he got to spend some time with them doing those fun things, and the girls are always thrilled with extra time they get with just dad!

Easter Morning the girls were thrilled with what the Easter Bunny had brought. The hit.... Hello Kitty suitcases! they got some clothing and swim suits and some candy and all of that fun stuff.

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Stella seemed to be feeling a little better but I was still feeling crappy so I got the girls ready and sent them off with Kris,

both of us knowing that He couldn't take Stella to nursery so planned to take Stella to classes with him. I was planning on meeting up with them for sacrament, but 2 hours into it I was still feeling horrible. You know it's hard for me to decipher what is baby and what is a bug anymore I always feel sick. So Kris brought Stella home and she took and nap and so did I! That night we had my side of the family coming up for dinner and so we started to get dinner ready! Kris manned the grill and the stake was amazing. Everyone pitched in and brought something and it was all amazing. Cyd made my moms rolls and it brought a little of home. Kat made a great salad and Sierra went over the top with desert and made baked alaska... not only did it taste amazing but looked beautiful! We finished the night off with an episode of amazing race. Thanks everyone for making it an amazing holiday!

Girls Day!

I have started to get a little home sick... I know that really doesn't make sense at all. I am just missing a place that I can go and hang out. A change in pace and different from our house. With day after day of bad weather we are missing the 45 min drive to grandmas house to go play with her fun toys or go run errands with her. Somewhere that my kids can be loved and I can be loved and just lay on the couch and talk with my mom or watch "Naplock" my sisters coming in and out or stopping in for lunch and acting as a jungle gym for my kids. Going to lunch with my mom and sisters, just having someone to hangout with. I don't know if it's the weather or just feeling like life is about to change even more or that this has been a hard pregnancy or just plain old missing my parents and siblings. It's just different. With sisters that are crazy busy one on a mission and brother and sister in law also crazy busy, I'm just feeling a little lonely. Maybe it's just these stupid hormones. Anyway we decided to do a girls day. My sister in law and sisters come up and I made breakfast. I did stuffed french toast, bran muffins, and fruit, we also had oj, and choclolet milk. Kris had taken the girls to an Easter egg hung for one of the places he works and then over to his parents and we girls just talked. It was so fun. After we ate we had planned to do a project, but it didn't quite work out that way so we just watched Fletch and then after hanging out and talking more we went to a late lunch early dinner Paradise bakery. To finish off we stopped at world market for a little look and shop. All in all it was such a great day spent with sisters (Seirra is considered to be a sister in stead of sister in law). We laughed and cried and talked and just had a great day of R & R. We decided that next month we should maybe include the spouses and go to dinner or something! Thanks for coming girls! We didn't get any pics of all of us together boo!

Visit from Ryoko!

We were lucky enough to have Ryoko come and stay with us in early March. She is such a darling girl that my parents and sisters met shortly after getting to Japan. My sisters and parents were introduced to her and her mother by one of their teachers from the MTC. She was in Japan visiting her family in my parents mission and brought Ryoko and her mom to the mission home to meet my family. Well one thing let to another and rather than going to dinner like they had all planned my dad had the AP's come and teach them the first lesson. Ryoko's mother is a member of the church but has not been active for years. Ryoko fell in love with the gospel and they continued to come over and be taught by the missionaries. My sisters felt such a part of this whole thing and fell in love with Ryoko and her mother. When I went to Japan I got to meet Ryoko and her mother and they took such great care of us! They took us to this water park and we got to spend time doing all kinds of fun things with them, including sitting in on a discussion. Ryoko we baptized this last winter and come to visit friends in the states before she started her new job. So we got to have her come and spend a few days with us. We did a lot of shopping, went to Tangled with the girls, and got to have a party, and going to Jump on it, then to Taco Bell (my kids are still talking about when we got to go to Taco Bell with everyone) with her and other family members! Here are some pics from Jump on it!

We had so much fun with her! She was such a delight to have in our house! Our girls fell in love with her and infact she never sat up front with me because the grils would freak out that she wasn't sitting by them! They followed her around and even found her make up (K I was totally enbaraced that they got into her stuff). She make Curry rice for us one night.... so good by the way! LoVe Curry! She left us all with little gifts! Thanks for comming to stay with us and taking such good care of us!

Sisterly Love!

I had gotten the girls some water and told them they could watch a movie while I got some stuff done. When I waked by the couch this is what I found.

Molly had Stella's blankie on her lap and Stella was laying there so content watching the tv. I love these moments. Really I kind of smile when the older ladies always say "oh enjoy every moment because it goes too fast" Honestly I think they must have forgotten 80% of raising children. I don't know that I will ever miss the throw down knock out brawls in the middle of target with them punching each other, and much of the refereeing and all of the not so fun stuff.... but these, these are the moments that I live for. These are the moments I want to hang on to every second. These are the moments I will miss. I could have just sat there and watched them. So here are to those memories that I will miss and do go by to fast and I try to cling to to help me get thought the others that make me want to cry! I love these girls and do feel that the are growing up way too fast! How lucky am I to be their mom! (Feb 2010)

Rosander Christmas Party!

This year we had a fun family Christmas party with the Rosanders. Santa came and brought gifts for each of the children and I was so shocked that Molly was so brave... honestly I think it's because Beckham and Mason were so happy about the whole thing and were excited and of course Molly has to try to keep up with her cousins she she was thrilled. She was laughing so funny which tells me deep down she was really nervous, but she put on a happy face and was thrilled with her little princess Polly Pocket that Santa had brought. Stella was totally freaked out and didn't want to sit on Santa's lap at all, but she all so got a darling princess Polly Pocket. It was so funny because After I sat down with here in the quietest vice Stella said "Thank you Santa" no prodding no prompting just pure gratitude. She is always so sweet that way! But the poor thing was so scared of Santa her whole body was just shaking the whole time and had to be held, but even thought she was scared to death she was so grateful and said thank you. No body but me could probably hear it, but she did say it louder so that he could hear later. Anyway fun night!

Poor Stella was shaking so bad and refused to be put down. When we came in the room she clung to Jody and then she moved to our lap and really wouldn't leave our side until Santa left.

Molly just soaking up every second of Santa and watching all of the other kids sit on his lap and get their gifts!

Stella working to get her gift for as far away as she could get!

Molly a little nervous, but acting brave!

Rosander fam!

Jazz Time!

We got the opportunity to go to the Energy Solutions Arena and get some floor time! Molly and Stella obviously didn't get how cool this could be... ok let me rephrase that... Molly didn't get how cool it could be! Stella was loving this huge floor all to herself. The people were so funny. They were telling us we had about 30 sec left and Molly was still in melt down, and Stella took off, running all over the floor at Stella high speed! Here I am feeling like I'm totally going to barf at any sec and one kid in melt down and the other running around like a crazy woman zig zagging so that we can't get her. There was no way I could run after her, so Kris got Stella, but she had a great time with the large open space! I'm sure everyone got a huge laugh out of us!

Stella making her escape. I just love that you can see her happy in these photos and then she comes up with this plan and she is off.

One Wedding, One Farewell, and One visitor!

One major benefit to having a sister get married while my parents are serving in Japan for 3 years is that my mom got to come home. My dad obviously couldn't come but was put on a large screen so that family and friends could talk to him on skype during the reception. It was nice to have my mom here for a bit. The time went way to fast and she had a ton to get done while she was here but we will take the time that we can get. Also We got to have Whitney's farewell while she was here. After all of the fun craziness of Kathryn's wedding and Whitney's farewell my mom left and took Whit with her. Whit came back just a week before she went into the MTC. We all piled into one car and dropped her off at the MTC. I don't know that anyone had ever seen a car with people that just kept piling out but it was nice and hard to be able to say goodbye at the MTC. Cute Side note and funny story about Stella.

So when I go to the hospital for my Dr. appointments there is this big apartment complex right by it that we pass every time. And it's kind of that orange yellowish color brick, it looks just like the brick they have used at the MTC. So we pass it all the time and then one day out of the blue Stella said "Look mommy, there is Whitney's mission." It was so cute! It took me a sec to try to figure out what she was saying, but she totally remembers taking Whit to the MTC and the fact that she would link those two things together and the appartment compelx could totally look like the MTC. I love that my kids have those memories and that they do remember them.

Molly's Christmas Program!

Molly had her first school program around Christmas time. It was so cute! They sang all kinds of songs and they were sweet. It's always funny for me to see Molly with her class. She seems to always be right up there doing the things the other kids are doing at the same time or sometimes ahead of them. She was writing her name for a long time be fore a lot of the kids in her class, even though she is one of the youngest in the class. I don't ever feel that she is struggling or that she is having a hard time keeping up with the other kids in her class, but when they are all together she is definitely one of the shortest. She and a few others that are also the younger in the class. I always get such a kick out of it. It makes me feel that she is still my little Molly and I have a little extra time before she is growing up. I'm sure that wont happen with Stella. Even though she is also going to be one of the youngest in her class she had more of the Baird gene and is kind of tall. It's funny because everywhere I go people will ask me if they are twins and even though they are 2 years apart people still ask. I think that is partly Molly is shorter for her age and Stella is taller for her age, anyway here are a few pic from Molly's Christmas program.

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Molly's Apartment!

So Molly has this little spot in our house that she calls her "apartment" It's this tiny corner between the wall and the entertainment center. She will sit in there and open one of the doors on the entertainment center so that is her door and she feels closed off from the rest of us. Really it's about 16 in by about 16 in deep. She sits on the soft toys and will color or read books or sometimes just hide, but she always refers to it as "my apartment". One day after she had spent a long time in her apartment (I had not really been paying attention, I mean how much trouble can you get in in a tiny space?) Well this is what I found....

She had decorated her appartment with all kinds of pictures that she had drawn some out of coloring books. She had put them all up using post it notes to keep them up! Well she has her own ideas for decortating. So funny! I sure love her creative brain! This was in Nov 2010

Molly's Art Projects From School.

Molly learned about how to set the table and they did this art project.

Molly's haunted house that she did around Halloween.

Molly's 5 little pumpkins sitting on the gate.

Stella with her Birthday Bike.

Stella got this bike for her birthday. She loves it! This picture was taken 7/16/2010 I just love that she had figured out a way to drink her cold water to stay cool and ride her bike all at the same time! She just looks so little to me.