Hey, Mommy...

I hear that a lot and it is frequently followed by, "...look at this."

Here are a few fun pictures of some of the things Michael has been sharing with me.

He showed me how he can color with his mouth...

...made a nifty thing-a-ma-bob with Magnetix...

...and wore some 3D glasses around for a while.

In that last picture especially, he reminds me of my dad.

What do you think?

This evening...

...Summer and I went out for dessert together. When we got home, she followed a path of rose petals and Hershey's kisses through the house...

...until she found a poster that read, "Summer, Now that I have kissed the ground you walk on, will you go to prom with me? Anthony."

Can you guess what she said?

Dancing the Night Away

Summer went to a Midwinter Dance last month with Robert.

Michael and Naomi are getting ready for their own turns as teenagers on dates by practicing their dance moves.

A Mother's Day Post

My family spoiled me rotten yesterday. I got a nap, Stan gave me a Godiva gift card (mmmmm...), Summer cut me some flowers and made a chocolate layer cake from scratch with seven minute frosting. She decorated it with shaved chocolate and fresh berries. It tasted as good as it looked. The rest of the kids gave me cards with expressions of love I will treasure and there were even a few "help with a chore" coupons thrown in.

It really is amazing that they treat me so well, considering my behavior. Rachel pointed out last night during FHE that I have the awful habit of embarrassing her and Summer, and I admit it's true.

I think I learned this behavior from my dad, or did I inherit it from him? Nurture or nature? Anyway, the more I like someone, the more I enjoy teasing them.

Summer and Rachel have these two friends, who happen to be boys. S & R like these two young men a lot, but just for the record, they don't LIKE them.

Anyway, they are very likable young men. They are kind and respectful and are gentlemen. I like them, which is where the problem lies. I also really like S & R. I see them together and I just can't help myself!

Here is a list of the teasing I have let slip out of my undisciplined lips provided by the daughters (I don't remember 2/3 of these, but they do - vividly) -

One time, I saw the four of them chatting in the halls at church and one of my daughters was twirling her hair. One of the boys was fiddling with his tie. I walked up and said, "Don't you all look nervous!"

Another time, another daughter was sitting by one of the boys, who started kicking her legs. She kicked him back and it looked like footsy to me, so I told her,"Stop flirting."

A couple of different times, I was ready to leave and so I let my daughters know by saying, "It's time to go, maybe some cute boys will escort you out," and, "Are you ready to go or are you too busy talking to cute boys?"

Finally, my most recent abomination was when the four of them were chatting and I walked up with the five younger kids to gather my two oldest to leave church. One of the boys looked at Michael and said, "Your little brother is so adorable with his suspenders," (see why I like these boys) so I said , "ALL of my kids are adorable."

They knew who I was talking about.

I used to think...

...that parents of boys were negligent when their kid's shirt was hanging out of his pants at church. Now I know the truth - it would take duct tape on the diaper to keep Michael's shirt tucked in for more the 12 seconds.

Here he is after church last Sunday, after mooching brownies and ice cream in the Young Women's room, and after playing in the landscaping while I opened the car and loaded it in the parking lot. He looks like someone without a mother, but I assure you, I was there for it all.