Ava Lyn being Ava Lyn

This girl is something else! She is sweet but sassy, she is spoiled, demanding, bratty and controlling. But she is still the sweetest, gentlest, kind, loving little thing ever! She is a whole lot of everything in an itty bitty 20 lb package (that's right!! We hit 20 lbs finally!!). I have had to keep an eye on her because she will attack random kids at grocery stores, or zoo's or any other public place. She has excellent manners but if you don't giver her what she wants when she says "peeeez" then you better be ready to accept the consequences! She pretty much gets her way all the time, if you don't fall for the BIG puckered lips, her extremely LONG fluttering eyelashes or her GIANT brown puppy eyes... then she will just take matters into her own hands. I can't begin to explain how crazy Ava is, you just have to witness it yourself. And she is not as good at hiding her temper as my other kids, she doesn't care who sees her misbehave because she will DARE you to do something about it. I know this all sounds horrible but she is anything but, she really is a little love bug and usually she is a sweet little angel. I love this baby more and more every day. I love her free spirit and even her spunk! Between her and Rori Ana I will be dead in my grave by 35.

Easter 2011

Okay, first off I apologize for being a total slacker with my blog lately. I have been so busy doing nothing productive.... well that is not true entirely. I have been doing a lot with nothing to show for it (same thing but with different wording).

Easter was fantastic, just as it is every year with all my little Chicky's running around...

This year the Easter Bunny brought BIG eggs for the kids to find, all stuffed with tons of little, cheap, inexpensive, breakable, made in China... garbage. Pretty sure the Easter bunny hates stuffing those things.


BUT mom and dad had something in store for the kiddos this year!!


Here they are all waiting patiently for the unveiling...

WHABAM!!! Check out the new ride for my 3 princesses! I know its a little much and probably a really bad idea because they might expect something so big every year but I couldn't control myself. I had to have it, I mean THEY had to have it.

And what was in store for Sir Jameson?? A row boat of course!! Since we are planning on more Lake Powell trips this year. And this kid is a pretty serious fisherman and he has been wanting to explore his talent off shore and out in the open sea... or lake... whatever it may be he will be out there!

Totally off the subject but I have to explain this picture: Have I mentioned I took Ava off her beloved baba? Well, I did. And it wasn't easy and it sure as heck wasn't pretty either. I cant believe I let her suck on that dang thing for so long?! This is the longest I have EVER let any of my children be on a bottle! I was embarrassed and ashamed. BUT we did it. Then I got this really bright idea to get a goat for my brother... that is being bottle fed. When I asked the goats previous owner what kind of bottle to use she pulled out the EXACT same bottle I used to give Ava! What are the odds?? I mean, come on! Of all the bottles it has to be the same one I just took away from my baby? The one that has turned my Ava's world upside down since it has been gone? The one she has been feigning over for the last week?? Oh geez. It took some serious explaining and a lot of screaming before I got her to "help" me feed the baby goat. I told her the baby goat would starve if she took it away. I think she got the idea and I'm happy to say she is still off the baba, no relapses.

Look at that face!! She is distraught!!

We also went to our neighborhood Easter egg hunt too. I didn't get any pictures of that, here is why...

It all start that Saturday morning, bright and early. Rory rolled over and asked what we were going to do that day, since normally we are celebrating Easter in Moab. He was a little bored I think. I told him I wasn't sure but something fun. Then he said "Have you ever been to a Easter egg hunt?? A real one, not in our backyard but city one with lots of people???". NO. I had not, nor did I have any desire. But he insisted, no he pretty much said "Get up, get dressed, we're going". He used words like EXCITING, FUN, THE KIDS WILL LOVE IT!!! So I did as I was told and we got all dressed up and headed out to the park. We got there and immediately I was getting yelled at by random people to RUN!! Apparently I had parked at the wrong end of the park and we had a waaaaaayyyyysss to run. I should have noticed all the other vehicles lined up and down every street but I got caught up in the "excitement"... yeah right. We get there just in time for them to start the count down 5. 4. 3. 2. 1!!!! And I tell the kids, in calm, quiet voice "Ok, go get your eggs". Only to be shoved out of the way by some overweight WOMAN screaming at the top of her lungs "GET THE EGGS!! GRAB EM AND RUN!!! It was a friggin nightmare!! Parents just started screaming at their children and running like maniacs, all on guard and in an almost protective mode?! It was insane!! I had this picture in my head of my kids running (in slow motion actually) with their cute little baskets, collecting all the colorful little eggs and opening them to see what little surprises they would get. NOT at ALL how this was happening. Immediately my kids were lost in a sea of screaming adults and crying children, luckily I had Ava and I clutched her in my arms with all my strength. I was running through, trying my hardest to find my babies and all I could see were giant butt cracks in my face! EVERYWHERE!! Butt cracks of all the parents bent over collecting all the eggs!!! I couldn't believe it!! I think I was actually screaming in fear come to think of it. Then it was over and it cleared out as fast as it all had started. Finally I found my children, all upset, disappointed, terrified, scarred for life. Rori Ana was just standing there, lost, holding a tootsie roll, Chanel managed to find one lousy plastic egg with a twizzler inside and a half of a plastic egg that was BROKEN and James had about 3 eggs and the first thing out of his mouth was "Some big old LADY came and GRABBED an EGG right out of my HANDS MOM!!! He was pretty mad. I was traumatized. We didn't even dare to set Ava down on the ground. Chanel was confused and Rori Ana was in shock. And Rory, poor Rory, he was sooo disappointed. He kept apologizing for putting us through such hell. All he could say was how it was nothing like that when he was little and he couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. I felt bad because I could see it had ruined all of his sweet little childhood memories he had. Then we sat in traffic for about half an hour trying to get out of that horrible place, trying to put what just happened behind us. Needless to say, we will NEVER, EVER go to another one of those things again. Ever.

As usual we have have been busy doing all sorts of things.... like:

Going to more princess parties! Rori and Chanel got to go to their friend Ellie's princess party
and of course they had a blast!!

Here are the 3 princesses!

Rori Ana is more of a drama queen...

We also had Chanel's "special day" where she got to choose whatever she wanted to do that day.

Of course it wouldn't be special without her very special, bestest friend London! We started out the day by going to Color Me Mine and the girls got to pick out whatever they wanted to paint. They both picked a beautiful unicorn that they painted every color you could think of. Then we had to leave it there so they can put it in the oven and seal in all the beautifulness the girls painted on them.
(this picture was taken with my phone, sorry it is so bad)

I think the finished product looks amazing!! We will see how long it lasts before it gets broken since Chanel feels like the unicorn has to go wherever she goes.

Then we were off to get manicures and pedicures!! Yay! These girls got the full treatment topped off with flowers and polka dots!! After all that we went to go get ice cream Sunday's and headed home to play dress up for he rest of the day. Then our whole family and London's whole family got to go to dinner!It was a pretty special day and I of course had a blast with my little Nelly Belly! She is growing up so fast and I love every special moment I get to spend with her. I also love how well behaved she is! No scary moments, everything went smooth as it ever and I didn't lose her once! Thank goodness.

Rori and Ava on the other hand are still at it. Still causing trouble and still making the biggest mess they can...

(I peeked in and found Rori doing this, she does this usually about 4 times a week but this time I went and got my camera and snuck up on her. Look at her face, you can see she just got busted!)

"Don't I wook pwettty Momma?!?"

And this is Ava the next day. What pretty lips you have Ava Lyn... The better to kiss you with Daddy!!!

It was also my youngest brother's birthday. Sebastian asked for something this year and I could hardly contain myself when I found out what it was. I ran out the very next day, even though his birthday wasn't for 3 more days and bought it!

Meet KICKSTART!!

Of course the kids and I fell in love with him immediately. Kickstart is a dwarf Pygmy goat and he is about the size of a Chihuahua right now. He wont get much bigger than a cocker spaniel when he is full grown. He was only a couple weeks old when we got him so he has to be bottle fed. Not that we mind, its not like we haven't done that before with lots of other animals.
Tweeder loved him too...
And Chanel got to take him to show and tell at her school!!

Then it was the big day! We wrapped up a baby bottle and gave it to him, he thought we were just playing a joke on him.

We put the baby goat in a gift bag and gave him his second present...

He loved it!!

Jameson also had his special day but I didn't go. Daddy got to take James riding aaalllll day! So of course I have no pictures of that day either, but I know they had fun! James came back caked in mud and dripping in sweat, telling me all about all the crazy wrecks he had and how far they rode. I think its pretty safe to say he did just what he wanted! And I'm happy to say he came back in one piece.

Next is Easter! I cant wait!

Im stuck!

This morning... Early this morning (when I was still in a vulnerable state) Rori Ana got me, again. I got up and went straight down stairs to say goodbye to my husband and get breakfast going and I could hear some thumping going on in my room upstairs. I just figured the kids went up and crawled in my bed, since they do that every morning. Then after I was all done and Rory had left I went upstairs to get ready. But first I had to go to the potty, while I'm sitting there I'm thinking gosh something isn't right but I was done before I could put much more thought into it (I just had to pee). I went to stand up and that's when I realized I WAS STUCK! Literally stuck to the toilet seat. I let out a loud squeal and sat back down to think about this situation I was in. And sure enough Rori Ana comes running in with that cute little grin on her face and I knew immediately she had done something. Of course she had, when something like this happens its usually her. I couldn't help but just start laughing and neither could she, while I am still stuck to the toilet. After a good chuckle I pried my behind off the toilet seat leaving behind a couple layers of skin. And turned around to see what she had done... The empty can of "extra strong hold" hairspray sitting behind the toilet said it all. Of course!! How did I not notice all this before I sat down!? But either way, it was pretty hilarious and creative! I had a good laugh and so did she.

Another one of "those days"...

Let me first start by saying 3 out of my 4 babies are sick right now. Stay away... far, far faaaarrrrr away. The only one who is feeling good is James, actually he is feeling amazing! I'm jealous! He has more energy than I can deal with right now. And too much time on his hands, since I am busy taking care of my girls. Once again we are really pushing his patience.

It all started with Ava getting a little cold. Nothing big, just a cold. That turned into a sinus infection/cough/never ending mucus pouring out of her eyes, mouth and nose. Soon enough her partner in crime got it as well. Rori got it a little worse, I didn't think that was possible but it is. After about 3 sleepless nights and a dozen boxes of Kleenex I was getting ready to take Nelly to dance yesterday and she said she wasn't feeling good and didn't want to go. Immediately I knew this was bad because she doesn't miss dance or school unless it is something serious. Sure enough about 15 minutes later there was barf all over my kitchen, my entry way, my living room and the bathroom. LUCKILY!! Some how she didn't manage to get much on my newly cleaned carpets!!! But it looks like this one is a doozy, I don't expect to sleep for at least a week. So with Chanel throwing up and Rori Ana crying because she doesn't feel well and Ava just crying because it seems like its the thing to do... I am crying because I cant fix any of it.

A little later on, just when I think I got everything under control Rori Ana goes running into the living room only to trip and fall, hitting her poor face on the couch... She got a bloody nose and she was so stuffed up it just made another mess from hell.

But a little bloody nose wont stop my Rori Ana... Oh no.

Once again I get everyone settled. Chanel watching Little Mermaid, Ava sleeping....... wait. Where is Rori Ana???? She is making her own lunch and packing it in her little princess lunch bag, that's where she is. And what did she make herself? A BIG bowl of cereal, with lots and lots of milk. She took it aaaallllll the way upstairs. Spilling aaaalllll over my carpets. That I had cleaned LAST WEEK! Yep, so much for being grateful that Chanel didn't throw up on them. So once again, I am cleaning another mess but Rori Ana couldn't let me clean it all up by myself. No, she decided to go get the hand soap from her bathroom and pour it all over my carpets. She is SUCH a great helper. But it doesn't end there... again, I am cleaning another mess. And Rori Ana was SO very mad that I took her lunch away. The lunch she worked so hard to make that she decided to make her lunch again.... On my kitchen table this time.

If daddy doesn't have a lock on my pantry by tonight I am going to go INSANE!!!!
And I am going to tie my little Rori Ana to my hip for the rest of the day. Since obviously I cant let her leave my sight for not one single minute!! I couldnt make this stuff up if I wanted to. I know they say your kids pay you back for all the horrible things you put your parents through when you were younger but, I KNOW I never did anything like this!!?? I have never met a child who is capable of the crap this little girl can do?! And not just her, but the rest of them aren't exactly angels either. What the hell am I going to do?

My baby boy...

I want to write some things down about my little man, my pride and joy, my best friend, my sweet and only son. I feel like he kind of gets dragged around a lot. Living in house full of girls and not just any girls but really crazy, drama filled, catty, sneaky, very outspoken, mean girls. And I'm not just talking about my daughters... They get it all from me. THERE!!! I ADMITTED IT!! HAPPY?! But I also think my son gets his calm, forgiving, logical, even temper from me as well. He really is my pride and joy. So are my girls, don't get me wrong! I am proud of ALL of my babies! But there really is something about the relationship between a mother and a son. Especially when he is your only son.

First of all, Jameson is growing up WAY too fast! I cant take it. He wins most of our arguments and the ones he doesn't win he convinces me to give in anyway. He is so smart and so giving. And the more he understand things and the way life works the more he amazes me. He has such simple solutions to such complicated problems. And he makes me wonder why the rest of the world cant just get it together and think the way James does. It would make for a much better place.

He is reading so much now, and he gets so mad at me for not ever correcting his speech in the past!! Words like other, he would have said "udder" and I never told him how to say it correctly so now that he is reading he asks me WHY I would let him talk that way?! I cant help but laugh. He also reads things he shouldn't. Like how many people have died in Japan, it affects him so much and I can tell he sits and thinks about it too much. He reads about missing kids and murders and THE WAR in the paper or in books and magazines. He gets so sad about all the negativity going on in the world and I feel like he is just too young to worry about such things. I want to keep him in his happy little bubble for as long as possible. I don't want him to know how evil people really are or what the world is really about. I don't like him worrying about our soldiers in Iraq and asking why the world has to fight. But at the same time, once again, I am proud. I'm proud that he cares and that he thinks about it. Goes to show he is a good person with a good conscience.

His favorite shows right now, and in this very order, are: icarly, Americas funniest home videos (my favorite too, we love watching it together) spongebob, wipeout, minute to win it and planet earth. All of which I love, except icarly I cant do that one. He gets mad if we miss one of his shows because I have to go to the store or something. He says I ruin everything.

He loves shrimp!! This kid can put down more seafood than most adults, but shrimp is what he loves best!!! He also eats all his veggies except some squash and spinach.

He is getting all A's and B's in school and he is speaking really good Chinese now. He got to have lunch with the principal because he is a such a good student and has good attendance.

He gags at everything, he gets that from his dad. I will wipe chocolate on him and then scream and not tell him what it is just so I can watch his disgust and see him gag!! Funniest thing EVER!!

He is so fun to hang out with, always joking around and messing with me. He is always jumping out of somewhere or throwing things at me. I know it might not sound fun to you but that is my same sense of humor so I think its fun.

Our feet are almost the same size!! I can fit into his shoes, they are pretty tight but the point is I can!! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN SO FAST???? Soon enough he will pass me up.

His favorite song is Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park and has been for some time now. He knows every word. But he also sings and dances... A LOT!!

He makes home videos all the time now. I don't know that I love that because you never know when he is taping you. I find videos of me in my pajamas or of me sleeping all the time. But I also find some pretty funny ones too! He likes to play jokes on people and tape it, he always gets Rory and the girls by scaring them. I love to see those ones!

Even though he is such a big boy he still crawls into my lap for a good cuddle, he still holds my hand in public and he will tolerate a kiss every now and then. He is also very patient with his sisters and I, always rolling his eyes and just following without much complaint.

He is a good boy and I love him.

M.I.C.K.E.Y M.O.U.S.E!!!!

Lately Rory and I have started to take each one of the kids to do something special. They get to choose pretty much whatever they want to do as long as its within reason, James asked to go sky diving... not going to happen. They get to go without any other siblings and can bring 1 friend if they choose to. Last weekend I got to take Rori Ana out for her special day. She had been watching TV and saw a commercial for the Disney on Ice coming that weekend. Every time she saw it she would scream at the top of her lungs, in the squeakiest voice possible MIIIICCKKEEYYY!! So daddy, being the wonderful man he is, got me and Rori Ana FRONT ROW tickets to see Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Disney characters! When we got there we were running a little late and they couldn't find our tickets in will call so I was running from counter to counter dragging Rori around. She loved it, I think it just got her that much more excited! She had no idea what she was in store for, all she knew was that Mickey was going to be there and that's all she cared about. The whole time she kept saying "I'm going to see MICKEY!!!" to anyone that walked by. Finally when they found our tickets we RAN upstairs and to our seats just in time to see Mickey make his first appearance! I don't know that I have ever seen my little Rori Ana in such a tizzy! She was waving and screaming like her life depended on it!! I think she was so loud that Mickey actually hear her because he came right over and started waving and blowing kisses right in front of her. You would have thought this little girl was going to faint with excitement. She was completely thrilled!! So there we sat through the first half of the show just oooohhhing and awwwing at all the fun tricks and all the beautiful princesses. Then it was half time, so we went out to go get a drink and some popcorn. Well, this is where it gets a little crazy. There I was ordering the popcorn and they guy accidentally over charged me so while he was trying to fix it Rori is jabbing me in my thigh telling me we have to go back to see Mickey and I kept saying wait and wasn't really paying much attention because I was trying to figure this popcorn thing out when all of a sudden it hit me that there were no more jabs hitting my legs... Rori Ana was gone. I practically yelled at the guy and told him to figure it out and I would be back and just started running, frantically running, in a total panic. This place does a big circle so I wasn't sure which way to run but I just went. After about 5 minutes with no luck and me sweating already and starting to REALLY panic I decided it would be best if I had some help. I ran to the first security person and told them I had lost my little girl. After a minute of me describing Rori in detail, right down to her little bracelet she was wearing they had it all over all their radios that she was lost. While I was describing her I completely lost it?! I don't know why, it hadn't even been more than 7 minutes she was gone but I just started sobbing!!! I'm sure I made a scene, even though I wasn't being loud it was obvious I was panicking and pacing like a crazy person. I had 2 police officers come try to console me, telling me this happens all the time at these kinds of events and that she was going to be fine but it didn't help. I was a mess. After the longest 10-15 minutes of my life a lady came walking up holding my baby, you would have thought Rori Ana was gone for more than a decade when I scooped her up and started crying even more than what I was! I was so mad, so embarrassed, so relieved and so thankful! I thanked everyone for their help, went and got my popcorn and took out all my frustrations on the poor kid behind the counter and went back to our seats and cried just a little bit more then enjoyed the rest of the show. It had no effect on Rori Ana since she had ran away to go back to Mickey and that was exactly what she got. By the end of the show I had calmed back down and we said one last goodbye to the Disney characters and went home. It was a wonderful and memorable night for me. My little Rori is the most mischievous, naughty, sneaky, determined little girl and she gets in more trouble in one day than any of my other children do in a month. But I couldn't be without her, not even if its only for 15 minutes. She means the world to me.

Sorry no pictures... I forgot my camera!!

Little Getaway...

Nothing much has been going on here at the Royce home. Just a lot of the usual like school, homework, dance etc. And I have been getting really antsy to go somewhere! Literally going crazy, all couped up in my house wishing the winter would leave already! So last weekend when my mom invited us to go watch my brother play his first rugby game in Saint George I JUMPED at the invitation! I knew it would be cold there as well but it would be better than spending another weekend trying to fight the freezing weather at home. I had the house cleaned the bags packed all the kids and dogs loaded up in less than one day. By the time Rory got home from work that Friday I was practically in the car waiting for him to get in so I could leave. One zebra and a short 4 hrs later and we were there!!

This little guy was at a petting zoo in Scipio, the middle of nowhere! I couldn't believe it!

We stayed in a nice hotel with an indoor swimming pool so the kids got to swim their little hearts out. Ava had no fear of water by the time we left. She was jumping in and dunking herself. Rori Ana almost got the hang of swimming, I think by the end of this summer she will have it down. James and Nelly were fish and swam up and down that pool like there was no tomorrow. And Rory and I were exhausted to say the least (sorry no pictures, I wasn't thinking). Then we went to the rugby game, I am now a big fan of the game. Always something happening, never any down time and as horrible as this sounds I was amazed by the violent tackling and the way these guys just threw each other around and WITH OUT ANY PADS!! It was exciting to watch and pretty intense!!

That is Michael being tackled to the ground. He did a great job, especially for his first game!

The next day we had to head back home. The kids had school and Rory had work so off we went, but not without fitting in one last little hike to some caves my mom had told me about. The little hike there was beautiful, with all the recent rain they have had the desert was much greener than usual and there were little streams of water everywhere! Lucky for us we had just bought the kids some rain boots so they splashed around the whole way there.

I know that some of you will think I am off my rocker for taking my kids down into a cave. But, I promise I am very careful with all the crazy stuff we do with our children. Rory and I have and always will be adventurous. You would be amazed at the things we turn down because we know it probably wouldn't be the best idea to drag our kids through it!

My kids have seen and done more than most adults have. They have hiked through jungles, climbed mountains, swam through canyons and now... explored caves. And they LOVED every minute of it!!

Here we are lowering Rori Ana down into the cave...

Ava Lyn was SOOO mad that I wouldn't let her crawl down by herself! She kept yelling "NO MAMA" at me and would slap my hands away!

This is the entrance to the cave.
Another little tunnel we crawled through.

I would have loved to go in deeper but things got a little tight. And we went very unprepared, wearing rain boots and uggs, not the best cave gear. Next time we will go with more lights and helmets and the right clothes. And HOPEFULLY next time the battery on my camera wont die so I can get more pictures!!!

It was a great weekend and hopefully the first of many to come this year!!!