Tink's gone pirate!!

Beware, the Tink's gone ARRRGH! Brynn found Howie's pirate hat from last year (which he wanted to be again this year, but found the ninja and decided to go for sneaky)


We pulled out the costumes last night - Howie found the ninja outfit that Grandma Covino got him - last year - for CHRISTMAS - and it fits wonderfully.

And yesterday was Brynn's preschool Halloween party - she LOVES her sweet teacher normally, but since the sweet teacher decided to dress up like Steven King's IT and freak the kids out- Brynn wasn't sure if she wanted to be at the much-anticipated party. I thought you were cute, Bedie...and I think next year you should go as a zombie corpse, with pretty heart cheeks. ;o)


We'll take more pictures tonight as they get dressed & ready for door to door chocolate begging...I mean - trick or treating. Oh, wait, our ward scheduled a party for tonight - so we get to not trick or treat in order to support our ward party specialist. And Ross is in charge of the spook alley. That should prove to be exciting.

A chop chop here...

Kali has been dying to get her hair cut (unlike Brynn who just cuts her hair by herself) I took her for a cut! This is what she wanted - and oh my GOSH it turned out so cute! I'm thinking I may have to do this for me, too!

Brynn liked it so much - well, she begged & begged, and who am I to go against the queen of mullet-hood? So here's Brynn's mug shot...I had the lady who cut her hair take some pictures...hopefully she'll send them to me! Brynn got her hair washed in the salon! It was so cute!

Look what I noticed...

it's not often that I cut Howie's hair. He has a special attachment to his hair. He likes it long so it can be spikey. When I threaten to cut it he shrinks back and talks about losing his special powers. But when he misbehaves too closely after a threat to cut his hair...I must follow through with it. This time, I accidentally put a shorter clipper attachment on the clippers than I normally do, so I had to go shorter up top...and look what I found...

Coby isn't the only victim of the swirly bangs!!! How funny, right?!

THEN - Kali really wants to be a devil for Halloween. I told her that Halloween was a time to play dress up, not every day living. So I gave her a choice between these three...and she's not a fan of any of them...we have a woodland fairy,

there's (supposed to be) Eowin (from LOTR) - or some other Maid Marian type person

or - this thing - I believe they called it Lucy from Narnia? Or can you think of this being someone else I can talk her into?

And FINALLY (yes I made you all read through the "boring" part of the blog to see the picture of my sweet Australian visitor, Sheldi...

Pictured with Kiersten and Ross, while she's holding Coby (who we had to wake up for church, so she's still kind of groggy!)
Both Anthony and I forgot our cameras at home, but I found a member of my ward with a camera and had her take some pictures in front of the temple...I will post those when I get them!
So a funny story about my trip to the temple. I went through a session while the group of four children (pictured above) hung out around the temple (I can't leave Coby for as long as it takes to get to the temple, through a session, and back again - so these guys watched her for me) Anyway - they went through the visitors center and all around the temple grounds. I finished the session and met back up with them for them to go do baptisms and I wondered around the grounds.

I went into the visitors center and the first person that walked up to me asked if that little baby had been there earlier. Of course she had...the young sister missionary then said, yes, she was with her daddy, right? Uh no, she was with her brother..."Oh, it must have been a different baby, because I'm pretty sure she was with her dad, and they had a cute friend from Australia there, too." Yah, that was my SON! "Uh WOW!! You don't look like you could have a son that old!" I'm so flattered until she says this "So are you the baby's grandmother?" NO! Lost points with me lady...keep your ugly old maid mouth SHUT, would you?

Yah - She still thought Rossi was the baby's father, and if I was Ross' mother, then clearly that would make me the baby's grandmother, right?

But wait, there's more.

I go into the waiting room with Coby at the baptistry and a few ladies walked up and commented on how good she was (yes, she's a good baby - except when I want to sleep) anyway - Rossi finished first and came out and sat next to me and grabbed Coby to play with her. The lady came back out and again commented on what a great baby she was. I told her she knew she had to be good because my infant caring days were coming to a close. She laughed and asked if she was my first. UH NO! Then Ross (think booming voice without volume control here) Laughed and said "No, I'm her first, she's her last!" So the lady then asked how old he was. 14. SHOCK? REALLY? I thought you two were married. Nice, so now I look like a 14 year old? Or worse, my son looks like he could buy a beer without an ID!? So I'm passing this information on to my husband who laughed and said they asked him TWICE while doing baptisms if he was an endowed member so he could help in other ares! WOAH! So FOUR different people - on in the visitors center, on in the baptistry and another two inside by my husband asked if my son was OLDER. I'm not sure I'm ready for this!

What? Mullets are out dated?

What if you're a 3 year old and enjoy the feel of fingernail clippers through your fine blonde locks? What if fingernail clippers aren't enough? What if you find small baby fingernail sissors? What if they feel better when run through your hair than the clippers? Well, I say USE THEM!

I wrote a song about it. Wanna hear it? Here it goes...

Old McSissors had an urge....O*I*C*U*HIDE
and in that urge she had blunt cuts...O*I*C*U*HIDE
With a clip clip here and a clip clip there
Here's some hair, hide it there
Everywhere there's hair hair

Old McSissors had an urge...O*I*C*U*SPANKED.

Here are her mug shots. Left, right, frontal and throughout the head there are very short spikey hairs (these hairs spike up THROUGH any hope of a pony tail comb-over.)

In this picture you can see how cutting hair on the side of the head, to just above the hair - helps qualify this hair cut as a mullet.


Here we see the length of her bangs on the right side vs. the left side...


right here, we have circled her rebellious spike:

A milestone.

I did it. I caved. I fed Coby some human food. Okay - well, BABY food, but not mothers milk - although - mother's milk was mixed in it, so not completely people food, plus, I'm not sure a real person would eat this food, but regardless...she took food from a spoon.

She loved it - she's been "mock chewing" for a few months now, when we eat dinner, she'll open her mouth with us - and phantom chew. So to actually have something solid in her mouth - was SO MUCH FUN for her!

First her daddy tried (hey, I've fed her solo her whole life - time for someone else to take a turn!).

Brynn had to get in on the action. Coby thought it was funny.

But the funny part was watching Brynn try to feed her (bwhahaaa - look at her mouth!) and Coby, of course, gobbled EVERYTHING up! To the LAST scrape of the barrel!


Then we gave her a bath. Which - what baby doesn't like sitting in the bath and splashing until the water turns cold?

She sat and splashed and splashed - and coughed, then splashed some more.


Look at those toes! HAA! Cute little wrinkles! She splashed for a LOOOOONG time!


Meanwhile Kiersten got the jewelry making bug when she saw what I came home with from my girls get away! So she took some of her baby sitting money and bought the stuff - slowly - and waited for the 50% off coupons to get the tools! FINALLY she had enough tools & beads to make something! She did a great job, me thinks! She sold this one to her girlfriend - and thought it was pretty cool - now she's going to start her own business.

What would I do without my friends?

I haven't had TIME in the last - oh - however many years it's been - to get updated pictures of my brood...between Kris & and her absolutely ADORABLE blog layouts - as well as taking these adorable pictures of Coby and my sweet Bedie I have fully updated pictures of my kids!

We had such a fun day on Friday getting pictures! Bedie went into the John Deere store and asked them if we could take pictures on their tractors! They were quite surprised anyone would want to do such a thing - but gave permission - and this kids had a blast seeing which tractor they fit in best! See this top picture of Howie & Kali - I mean - REALLY - it cracks me up! Bedie, those two are always cracking me up - and I have never quite managed to get it on film (or disc) so THANK YOU for that.

And Thank you for bringing to my attention exactly how mature my baby 12 year old girl is - and protecting her from the men-folk that may flirt with her...the kids had such fun climbing around the trees and I just enjoyed spending the afternoon with you!

My friends are amazing. Not just those two super-talented ladies - but pretty much everyone of them - I love you all for putting up with me - and maybe that's why I love you - because you DO tolerate me!

Ammondomus

(explaination of the following - my brother Ammon is not in the world of finance as his brother-in-law, Ross - and two other brothers, Vince & Pete are all financial advisors - Ammon would like to talk shop sometimes and this is the circumstance at which he finds himself participating in shop talk - the following is taken from the "Book of Ammondomus" in his own words - let us partake...)

The prophecies of Ammondamus, which are among his brethren at the times of the falling of all things near the last days. And behold, now it came to pass that it was in a house, which was in the garden of Ammondamus, which was by the highway of Eagle which led to the red brick building where his brothers worked, which was in the city of Eagle; therefore, Ammondamus had sat himself upon the granite table which was in his house, which table was also near unto the front door by which there was a street which led the highway.

Chapter 1

1. Hear the words of Ammondamus for in the year of our lord 2008 the Dow, for the angel told me in a dream that this should be it’s name, shall have a great rise.

2. The rise thereof shall be exceedingly high even to exceed it’s strength.

3. And when the strength of the limbs shall overgrow the roots it shall break into pieces and great shall be the fall thereof.

4. For behold, it shall be tall even to the height of 12 and ½ cubits. And shall seem to hold strong. And it shall begin to fall even to 11 and ½ cubits.

5. And some shall say that the fall is necessary to grow higher, but do not be deceived for thus shall be their words.

6. Though the fall of 1 cubit shall be slow it shall be followed by another cubit even to 10 and ½ cubits.

7. And some shall say “surly this is the end of the fall, for we are the people of God and a fall much further is not possible for we are strong.

8. And there shall be some sitting in pizza houses, for this is the place they sometimes eat,

for they will be dressed in their fine twined linen, and they will be talking one with another about the marvelous change that has happened to the Dow.

9. Some will say this is the end and the Dow must fall to the earth that it have no more cubits. And thus will be their language.

10. But I say unto you, they know not, for it will fall, but the end is not yet. For it will fall faster to 9 and ½ cubits and faster still to 8 and ½ cubits.

11. Then one shall say to another maybe we goest to take our aggressions on the rock wall, and some shall take their flight to the blue ball court, for this is the name I give unto it for it is very curious to me.

12. Thus will be their manner of speaking one with another.

13. But behold I say unto you the end is not yet for the Dow still stands. It must fall again, for it must fall to 7 and ½ cubits.

14. And then shall their friends who have given them charge over their possessions say “where are our riches?” And they shall answer don’t worry we have hidden it deep in the earth where no man can find it, then they shall say just kidding it is going the way of all the earth, but fear not we are managers of money and we knowest where the Dow goest and it will be safe with us.

Running errands

I hate to "bump" my last blog & those cute pictures of the cutest baby in the city down - so please scroll down and take a gander at them!

BUT - I was out and about today. We went to a nearby city park - Rossi is putting some pictures together for his eagle project - and I saw a few calming nature pictures!

Here's a turtle sunbathing. CHECK OUT THAT NECK!! Have you EVER??!!!

Here are a few ducks. Just perfect white with some down feathers splashed across the pond. I think they're sleeping - they're eyes appear to be closed...?

BUT THE COOLEST PART OF TODAY was when I went down to the district office to turn in the money for Ross' swim-a-thon.

I handed it to the lady - who said "Luekenga? I think we have a picture here by one of your kids?" So she took me around the corner to this wall, where there are 10 pictures.

Look at this...one. "Starry Night" is what VanGogh called it. And Kiersten copied it - her art teacher thought it was pretty good & forwarded it on to the district office for them to display! 17 schools in the district. 10 pictures displayed. Kiersten's was one of them!

WAY TO GO KIERSTEN! That was SO fun to see! I happened to have the camera - I'm so glad!

Like mother, like daughter!

Thank you KRIS, for spending some time with my offspring! And my NIECE! I love these pictures you took!

IT was so hard to pick out my "favorites" because even the ones that were snapped with dried boogers on her nose were cute! haa!

So here's a few...

Amy & Coby - both just cracking up.

Amy being cute, and Coby taking after her mom...in the process of putting her foot in her mouth...

and yep, from these views, as you can tell, plenty of room for even BOTH feet if she needed.


And some other non-narrative necessary pictures of the sweet baby & her ruby red lips!

I'm on a political kick, maybe...

A guy from our ward came by tonight...while I was home...and dropped off a sign on my front porch then called me to tell me he put a proposition sign there and if we wanted, we could put it in our yard. Uh. okay. Coulda knocked & told me w/out calling? Weird. But okay? Whatever floats your boat.

Then Ross went out immediately and hammered it up in the front lawn. He is excited to say how proud he is to have this sign up front. Fine. Whatever floats his boat.

But then I got to thinking...what kind of person actually pays heed to that kind of political advertisement.

I mean - This proposition is pretty popular. Kind of like the presidential options. Everyone knows and has pretty much already made a decision on who they will be voting for. So my question is...ya think my sign's gonna sway the vote?

Really?

Like this....I saw a 1977 Chevy Nova - it was beat UP, the paint clearly got frightened away along with the hubcaps and rear view mirrors and ONE of the windows ran away with a lug nut...but it had nice spinners on the tires...and it had an "Obama" bumper sticker duct taped on it. So here's what I'm thinking. "Dang, nice spinners, I think I'll vote for Obama." But then, I saw the same sticker on a Hummer. And thought again to myself - "People who drive hummers are dumb" so clearly I cannot vote for Obama. I'm so torn, what ever will I do?

Know why? Know why? Cause campaign bumper stickers and poster signs are STUPID. Why even waste campaign money on that sort of nonsense? The poster in my front yard is NOT going to convince anyone to vote my way...what it WILL do - is make some fella driving down the main road or freeway - that can see my house from there - get REALLY passive-aggressive toward me and throw lime green pompoms on my roof - just out of my reach. And there they will sit long after my campaign poster has been taken down.

I guess to the ill-informed, if they see more "yes" proposition signs than "no" signs, they'll vote yes? I know there's a psychological name for that sort of nonsense...I just can't remember it.

I think putting posters up in my neighborhood is against my HOA rules anyway. Guess we'll find out when we're fined?

Magically Delicious? And another thought....

Brynn told me my meatloaf was magically delicious tonight. She loves me, she really really loves me!

I'm also wondering about the upcoming election, I truly think both sides settled for their candidates. And I wonder, do we want an old man whose been in Washington too long to run the country with a new kid whose never been to Washington and doesn't even know the ropes to back him up, or do we want a new kid whose never been to Washington and doesn't know the ropes to run the country with an old man whose been there too long backing him up? I mean - really - it's times like these that I think we need Jack Palance back here on earth - just to take a stab at the white house...that would be magically delicious.

A few weeks ago

My friend came up to me with a pretty cute idea she wanted to make tutus for her nieces for Christmas. She wanted to measure them against my girls to see how they fit. As you know - you can't put a tutu on a 3 year old and NOT let her keep it...Well, one thing led to another and we sort of became addicted to making them! And decided, in order to support our habit, we needed to sell a few!



In buying the material, we also decided it would be pretty fun to make a bunch of headbands.


SOOOO - yah - went crazy there, too. So if you want a tutu or a headband - you know - sort of help me support my creative habit, PU-LEASE let me know!
The tutus will be $10-$15 depending on the amount of extras added, each one is "standard" with a matching flower on the waistline - you can order any color - these are just examples...Just tell me the colors you want!

The headbands range from $1.50 to $3 - again, depending on the size of the flower/elastic! The headbands fit from newborn up through your typical 3 year old - just to help pull the hair away from her face!

October Conference Packets

in case you haven't already found something to keep the kids interested in conference this upcoming weekend (you know - adequate chains & locks to keep them in a chair in front of the TV?) here's a site with printable conference packets! Thanks, Amie!

Enjoy!