Sayings of my Children

These are fun to look back on. Here's the latest set! 

A: I know how they make chalk. Chocolate-- break it into pieces. Choc-o-late. See? Choc!

A: Grown-ups kiss because they think it's lovely.

A: how do airplanes turn? The pilot? Snacks? I don't know.



(Avery handed me a flower top stuck in a bottlecap with some dirt)
A: remember to water it to stay healthy!


Me: what do you want for dinner?
A: a Hamburger
Me: what do you want on it?
A: Ketchup
Me: (hands her a Hamburger with Ketchup)
A: agh! I didn't want meat on it!

My mom telling me about preparing lunch for my 5 year old nephew.
Mom: Do you want a peach?
W: Yes but in slices with the soft off. (Meaning the peach fuzz. So cute!)

N: what's that country that starts with a G where they speak German?

(In the song Cornerstone it says "even when the night sky comes")
A: who's the "nice guy"?


A: (sitting on my bed in a modified 'criss cross applesauce' position) what shape am I making?
Me: a trapezoid
A: I'll give you a hint. It has "vay" in it.
Me: um, I don't know.
A: VASE!


A: Mom! You wanna know the best part about me? When a grown up stands up- a dad or a mom- I can touch their shoulder!



A: your room smells good! It kinda smells like popcorn

(A text from my mother in law one day when I was working in the office building & she was watching my kids.)
In case you ever wondered according to Avery you are stronger than Aaron because you "pick up the house" she's never seen it but you say it  🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

(Looking at the sunset)
A: wow! It looks so cool! I wish I could be the sky! Then I could change colors!

A: USC! USC!
Me: do you mean USA?
A: I've never heard of that in my life.
Me: United States of America.
A: ohhhh! It makes so much more sense now.

Me: you don't celebrate Diwali?
A: who even is wally?

Avery: (unloading dishwasher- holds up a Gingerbreadman cookie cutter) I don't know where this goes so I'll put it up here on top of the bread. So fluffy. Here. Take a rest.

Avery: (when singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) covered in joy, covered in joy! Oh tidings of covered in joy!

Noah: Why does your bathroom have 2 sinks?
Aaron: two people get ready in there.
Noah: but there's only one toilet.

Avery: you know that song that says "sin has lost its power"? That's wonderful news!

(While playing a game where we have to name foods from all letters of the Alphabet)
Avery: B! Botato
Me: that starts with p.
Avery: No, bo-tato. Oh.



Me: do I need to help you fix your shirt drawer?
A: yep. The shirts in there are all crankied up.



(After tasting my very sour loaded tea)
A: Oh my! I can't feel my ears!

Avery: are you my umbrella?
Michael: Do you mean abuela? No, I'm not your grandma. 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Jolly Little Elves

Our elves, Q.E. & Lucy, had a lot of fun this December! I didn't take their picture everyday because I didn't want to take their photo before the kids got to see them. I kept a record though of what they did during the first 24 days of the month. 

2023:

Ornaments (12.01.23). The elves & Sam the reindeer arrived with an ornament for each kid and a note to all.

Sleepover, so on top of bookshelf (12.02.23) The kids had a sleepover at their grandparents' house, so the elves hung out by the Christmas cactus.

Gingerbread party (12.03.23) The elves welcomed the kids back home from their sleepover with a hand-written invitation to have a gingerbread party. They supplied gingerbread cookies and some cocoa to be enjoyed in Christmas mugs! (Later on this day, the kids super disobeyed so the elves disappeared for a while as a warning and left a new note when they returned about a half hour later. The note was a reminder to be on good behavior.)

Inside mugs by backpacks (12.04.23)

Barbie clothes & nativity palm tree (12.05) Q.E. and Lucy borrowed some Barbie & Ken clothes from Avery's collection, and they procured the palm tree from the toy nativity so they could have a beach day!

Minion Bananas (12.06.23) On this day, they drew minions and Gru on some bananas with a Sharpie!

Hiding in pie safe w note saying 'find' (12.07) On this morning, a note was rolled up and placed on the coffee table. The kids unrolled it to reveal a self-portrait of the elves with a note to find them. The kids then had to search for where the elves might've been hiding. They were sneakily in the pie safe which has screens on the upper portion of its doors. 

In fridge (12.08)

In Nativity set (12.09)

In Christmas tree (12.10)

Campfire (12.11)

Brown-e's (12.12) On this day the elves left a note near the stove saying they made brownies. In reality, they cut up brown paper into capital and lowercase "e" shapes. Brown-e's. 

Put disco balls on top of little trees (12.13)

Riding in the wooden reindeer (12.14)

Near windowsill tree in dining room. (12.15)

Magic ice cream for lunch note (12.16) On this day, the elves wrote a note in magic ink that only kids could read and it said that they sprinkled magic dust on me, so if the kids asked if they could have ice cream for lunch, I'd say yes! This was on a Saturday so it was easy for them to have ice cream for lunch on that day.

In barbie camper (12.17)

Rockstar elf (12.18) Q.E. dressed as a rockstar and Lucy observed.

In the stockings (12.19)

Hiding in bottle brush trees (12.20)

Astronaut and telescope (12.21). I wish I had taken a picture on this day because it was really cute. Q.E. dressed in a tin foil suit-- he was an astronaut. And Lucy held a telescope (toilet paper roll with cling wrap over one of the open ends, and wrapped in tin foil, with toothpicks to create a tripod). 

In Christmas jars & bowls (12.22)

On the backpack nook (12.23)

Toilet papered the tree (12.24)

Here's a few of the photos I took this month. 

The kids all loved finding them each day & they took turns getting to have Sam the reindeer with them for sleepovers! 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Spring Break Recap

 Well now that it's nearly 3 weeks post Spring Break for us, how about a Spring Break recap???

We weren't sure we were going to take a Spring Break trip this year since we just finished the house, but the ocean was calling and I just had to get my family down there! So we booked a quick Friday-Sunday trip and it was perfect. The best little respite to recharge for the next quarter of school and to relax a little bit after all of the stress and hassle of building a home!

This time we rented a raised bungalow in the same RV park we've been renting from for a couple of years now. 

Here's my grown Michael boy showing off the king-size bed. 

Noah made himself right at home! (And so did Avery's dolls). 

I'm not certain of why she chose this pose, but all three kids thought the house was "luxurious."

Avery requested that I help her hang up all of her clothes. 

Here's Noah showing off the huge shower! 

Still exploring!

After checking in, we made our way to the beach to get in a good beach time since the following day was supposed to be rainy. 

The kids enjoyed playing in the little tide pool that formed on the sand. 

For dinner, we ordered takeout (seafood for the kids, Korean food for Aaron and myself) and ate it on the deck! This was so nice!

The following morning, I took the kids to the RV park playground. 

Avery's souvenir of choice was a pink turtle appropriately named "Pinky Winky." 

Later that day we took the kids to a playground in the town we stay in. They've recently added these gigantic cloth coverings. 

For dinner (as is tradition) we took the kids to a Mexican restaurant and they ordered dessert for dinner!

That evening, we loaded up for another quick beach trip. This time we focused on just going for a walk since we couldn't swim due to rip tide. 

I love these kids so much!

We love the photo bomber picture!

I love my family so much and spending time at the beach together is so fun and relaxing. We go any chance we get just to get away and reconnect as our own little grouping of 5. 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Christmas Door Decor

 On November 30th, my school had a door-decorating competition. My festive seniors from last year are making their way in the world and were not around to help me plan for door decor this year. We also were given much less notice of the door decorating contest this year, so I was working with a mostly apathetic crew and limited time. 

We decided to go with an easy "Battle Plan" rendition from Home Alone. We printed off some quotes and images from the movie and drew Kevin's battle plan. We didn't win (didn't even receive recognition) but I knew my own kiddos would like it and that spurred me onward. I even made a last minute "Little Nero's pizza" with a printed label and an upside down school supply box. 

Like I thought, my boys really liked it! Avery did too until she realized the pizza was fake, then she was upset which is why she's hiding behind Michael in this picture. 

She did, however, really like my coworker's Chemistree. :) 

Until Next Time, 
Much Love, Reba

Lucy the Elf

 When we figured out we wouldn't quite be in our new house for Christmas, and knowing how difficult it might be for our original elf, Q.E. to find us, we adopted a new elf (a girl!) and the kiddos named her Lucy. We gave her lots of love prior to having her head to the North Pole on November 30th to get prepared. 

She showed up bright and early on December 1st with a note and ornaments for the kids!

Avery got a sweet ballerina ornament to commemorate her year in dance class!

Noah, our police car loving son, got a wooden ornament in a Christmas tree made of various police cars and trucks!

Michael, the video game guru, got a really awesome SNES console ornament that actually plays the theme song to Mario World! (Aaron loved it so much he may or may not have stood in the garage and video recorded the song from the ornament). 

These ornaments found a place on the tree until we can put up our own Christmas tree and join them with our own ornament collection. 

The kiddos love finding where Lucy is hiding each morning! More updates to come on elf fun!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba