Snow....Finally!

We finally had a big enough snow storm out here in NYC that the girls could make a snowman. We got about 6 inches of absolutely perfect "packing" snow. The girls enjoyed an afternoon of sledding, snowman making and snowball throwing (at me mostly:). This was Owen's first big winter wonderland adventure, and he was excited about it for about 5 minutes, and then he was extremely mad that he could not take his mittens off. Unfortunately the snowman we spent a while creating was tipped over in the "decorating" process, so the girls and their friend Laura decided to make a miniature snowman to replace the loss. When we came inside the kids were absolutely soaked to the bone from being out for so long, but so full of delight about their first big adventure in the NYC snow.

My Photogenic Children

I don't know what it is lately, but my children feel the need EVERY time a picture is taken to (at the last second):
A. Stick a finger in their nose.
B. Cross their eyes - OR-
C. Contort their face in some way.
When I want to take a picture of them really smiling I have to take it on the count of "2" instead of "3" because the silliness comes out somewhere between the numbers "2" and "3".
They find enormous pleasure in being the only silly ones in a picture full of smiling "serious" people. I let them know last time they did it that I would be publishing their antics in the family blog. I do not think they believed me- because usually these pictures are the ones that do not make the "cut."

Here they are in all of their glory.

"Wicked"ness

I saw the Broadway Musical "Wicked" last night with my friend Rachel. It was unbelievable. Loved it. It was great to get out-something I haven't done sans kids in a long time! Thank you Marc!

Hair Raising Experience

We don't call her "our little firecracker" for nothing.
Eva has very fine, very straight hair. She always has. Because of this, her hair is predisposed to being controlled by the powers of static electricity. It used to be very funny when she was a little girl with short hair, but now it is outright hilarious as her hair is getting so long.
These pic's were taken by a friend of ours during a play date at a playroom here in NYC. Eva's hair was like this the whole time. I think we will have to stop washing her hair with "volumizing" shampoo. The best part about this is if you look closely at the second picture it looks like her finger just may be meeting an outlet. Eat your heart out Tina Turner.

The "Most Romantic Valentines Day Ever"......okay maybe not

This Valentines Day started out right....Marc spread out heart chocolates for the girls in the morning by their breakfast, and gave me a box of my own dark chocolate to devour. We made plans for a romantic dinner- and made reservations at the temple (you have to reserve a spot here in NYC) so everything was set up for a wonderful, much needed evening together. One of our good friends, Maria, had even offered to watch our children for the night, so we knew they would be in good hands while we were away. But even the best laid plans........

Around 5:30 everything changed. Owen started throwing up in his highchair during dinner. And then, as if anticipating the cholera plague, I waited to see who would be the next victim. I am sure that the excessive Valentines candy intake only added to the epidemic. Marc and I woke up around 1:30 am to a cry from Eva. "Dad, I threw up!" Sheets were changed, laundry thrown in, a bath was given, new pj's on- okay back to bed. It was only a matter of time before "Dad, I threw up!" was heard coming from our first born, Madeline. She was, however, much more strategic in her trajectory. Cleanliness is her middle name. She will not eat anything without a thorough hand cleaning, and she is first to remind Eva of germs that lurk everywhere here in NYC. So, instead of throwing up in her own bed, it must have been decided that it would be much more sanitary to throw up over the edge of the top bunk onto the floor below. Now, it was not just the floor below that was hit. We were in a rush last night to get the kids in bed. No tidying was done, no toys were put away- so as a result we now had puke covered toys, clothes and games covering the floor. This is a lesson to me to ALWAYS clean the floor up before the kids go to bed at night. So toys were washed, laundry was thrown in, a bath was administered, and then it was back to bed. A few hours passed and it started all over again. So, here we are today...the day after.... looking back at the "most romantic day of the year"- (ha!) with fond remembrance :).

I have learned 2 things over the last seven years: teach your children at a very young age two phrases "Dad, I threw up" and "Dad, wipe me"......hey it works for me :).

Joking aside, I will say that Marc was the best husband ever for helping me out last night. He was a trooper- getting up every time with the girls and letting me sleep because he knew that I was not feeling well either. Right now he is at work with only about 2 hours of sleep from last night. Sometimes it takes a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Valentines Day to remind you that you have a wonderful Valentine....

Reliving the Glory Days

For those of you who may not know, Marc was on the BYU Track Team in his undergraduate years at BYU. Some of his fondest memories from these years are of his experiences with his teammates, coaches, and of course traveling to/competing in meets.

This last weekend we hosted a "Track Reunion" of sorts at our building here in NYC. The BYU coaches were out here for a track meet at the Manhattan Armory, and several of his teammates from years past were able to travel out here for the meet and the dinner afterward at our place. As a group they tried to organize some fund raising efforts and ideas for the future of BYU track. It was great to have everyone together- I know that Marc absolutely loved it. There was talk of an "Alumni" Track Meet in Provo some time next year, and I could see the sparkle in Marc's eye as he thought about sliding back into the old blue spandex. I guess there is a reason we have saved those singlets all these years.........:)

My Life Just Got Busier

So in the last few weeks Owen's coordination has increased exponentially. Unfortunately, his awareness to the potential danger he is facing has not progressed at a comparable rate. Daily I encounter many of his "dare-devil" escapades - some of which are pictured here. I am hoping this is just a phase and not what he will be doing for the next three years......otherwise I am gearing myself up for knowing the ER doctors pretty well.

The second video illustrates his "victory hoot" he gives when he has reached the top of any precipice.

And yes, in case you were wondering, Owen does live out most of his days in a diaper:)

Lifestyles of the un-Rich and un-Famous :)

So, if any of you were assuming that our life here in New York City is a glamorous one, this post is for you. I decided to document our weekly trip to Costco to illustrate this point. I love Costco. I have shopped here pretty much the entirety of our seven years of marriage on a weekly basis. I like getting a good deal, and now that our family has grown to 5, buying in bulk really makes sense. One of the big selling features for me about our apartment building was its proximity to Costco. I took it as a sign that we should live here when I could see Costco from the rooftop :). The trip by foot is not bad. On the way to Costco, the kids pile into the strollers, and Marc and I push. On the way back the girls walk and the groceries get to ride. Owen pops into his Ergo Carrier on Dad's back and squeals with delight. Total walking time is probably an hour, which is a good Saturday exercise. The girls have built up their endurance and have stopped telling us they are tired every 2 minutes so it has become much more enjoyable. We took some pictures and video along the way so you could see how luxurious it is to live in NYC- it will make you kiss your car tonight.

Over the River and Through the Hood......

Our journey begins by crossing over a bridge that links Roosevelt Island to Queens. It is currently under construction. If you do not already know, Roosevelt island is sits in the East River in between Manhattan Island and Queens. Roosevelt Island is technically a part of the "Manhattan Borough" and officially part of Manhattan. Okay, so geography lesson aside, we have to cross this bridge to get into Queens which is where Costco is situated. The bridge is one of those retractable ones that lift up so that large boats can pass under. Whenever I cross I think of the last scenes of the movie "Annie" and wonder if it was filmed here :).

Two Reasons I Am Growing a Third Arm

So everytime we head over the bridge we get to pass by the local scenery- the Queen's Power Plant. Transistors on one side, smoke-stacks on the other. I can feel my DNA mutating every time we cross.

We're not in Kansas Anymore......or Manhattan

Manhattan is a dirty place. As time has gone on I have learned to ignore, and even sometimes appreciate it, however. Marc likes to ask the girls if they want some french fries as we walk to church, and they get all excited until he reaches down to the sidewalk pretending to scoop up an abandoned red box with golden arches. The joke is easily converted to whatever food items may be available. They think it is funny now and tell him they are hungry and want him to find them something. Sometimes I wonder what strangers around us are thinking:). Some areas of Manhattan are worse than others. Times Square is consistently the worst in my book. You regularily find unidentifiable liquid treasures deposited on the sidewalk here. And, apparently the trash cans that are virtually everywhere are invisible to the tourists. With that said, Queens is worse. Of course there are nice parts of Queens. Astoria, Queens- home of the Costco we frequent, is not one of those parts. This picture was taken to illustrate why you can hear me whispering to myself at times "don't look down, just look straight ahead," over and over and over.

Barbwire and Chainlink

So, this is how everyone fences in their backyards in Queens. It is better to be safe than sorry. Okay, really this is just a industrial storage area along our picturesque journey to Costco.

The Food Mecca is in Sight!

We typically cut through a park next to Costco to shorten the trip. It is not a park you would want to picnic in. On this trip we saw a big black dog without a leash that made

We Made it!

Here are the kids- a little less than excited about having to get out of the strollers- now that they have to be filled with groceries.

Heading Out With Our Loot....

Breaking Child Labor Laws

I am hoping this eagerness to help out does not end any time soon.

Exhausted From the Journey

Owen finally succumbs to sleep during the ride back. He LOVES riding in the Ergo on Dad’s back- so he is having sweet dreams for sure...

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig

There is no place like home. There is no place like home......
So, now we need to figure out where to put all of this stuff.....