Better late than never!

I already completed 2012 blog to book print out, but I forgot to put some fun updates and intersting things in it.  But... as it will be coming very shortly, this will, instead, be the first of 2013.  It's hard to believe that it's already 2013.  2012 seems like such a blur.  I keep expecting a less busy year... every year... so far that has yet to happen.  Of course time is a funny thing.  Right now I pray for more of it, but it probably won't be long before I crave the constant demands of young motherhood and work.  Just like the quick passing of 2012, time will evaporate and I'll cling to the memories of this busy season in my life.  The other day I went to Costco with my mom.  I had a particularly trying week with sick kids, cold weather, lots to do and no reprieve.  Mom was bemoaning the fact that she had to go to an empty house, again, for what felt like a long time what with my dad being so busy.  I thought going home to an empty house sounded pretty much like paradise.  It's funny how we desire a little taste of something else, but anything in excess is hard to appreciate.  And yet, there are beauties in ever season... magical wonders that make it all worth it.  So, this year one of my resolutions is to embrace the season.  Yes, I have an absolutely crazy 1 1/2 year old and a perfectly chatty 5-year-old, and an ever moodier 11-year-old... and it gets exhausting, but when they're out of this stage... I will miss it. I really hope that I can do more enjoying and less complaining this year... among many other things!
So... with absolute certainty that I'm missing copious amounts of awesomeness in this family, here are the notes I forgot to include in 2012

• One night while saying prayers, I was having Kolton repeat after me.  I said, "thank you for mama." "mama!" "thank you for daddy" "daddy" "thank you for animals" "whoot whoot"  He's got it down!
• He LOVES spicy salsa.  He eats it by the bucketful saying over and over again, "bapi" (spicy)
• He sings songs all day, but he really just wants to listen to Justin Beiber's "Baby" approximately 5 million times per day.  He insists all day, "babay, babay, babay." He did it the other day when Nic was in town. He asked,"what's babay? his bottle?"  Imagine his surprise at my response. 
• He has also taken to singing, "look down" in an imposing voice mimicking Les Miserables
• He indiscriminately calls the fire, all fire, "bampa"  It must be what he hears because he never falters.
• We had some friends over for  New Years and they have a baby just his age.  He didn't like sharing his toys with her and at one point cried to the adults, "baby night night!"
• He can jump out of everything including but not limited to: his crib, baby gates, all bookshelves, and his changing table. He is a mountain goat.
• His language is exploding. The other night I told Xiana to get her scriptures and as clear as could be he said, "scripture" and brought them to us.
• When he hears rap music he dances with swagger.  Kid has moves too!
• He's still a little bully, but he's so darn cute that it's hard to get mad at him. Every time we count to put him in time out we say, "one," and he says, "twoooo teeeee."  Or else he says, "peekaboo" It's hard to punish him.
• He loves to play a self invented game where he pushes Xiana running all around the living room yelling, "go go go go."  It brings him endless delight.
• He also loves when Xiana pulls the cushions off the couch and plays slide/trampoline with them.
• He is a smiley little bugger that can't resist the fridge, brushing his teeth (or eating toothpaste) running around like a crazy person, and climbing.  He's a handful, but he's pretty awesome nevertheless.

• Little Miss Xiana is turning into a little woman.  She surprises me all the time with some of her profound little insights.  It's hard to imagine at times that she is at an age that she'll remember.  It's also a little unnerving.
• She loves to take bubble baths, color, watch tv, and play with her friends.  She's getting pretty good at games and puzzles.  She continues to have an excellent memory and a ridiculous vocabulary.
• The other day we were driving and she said, "Last night on youtube we watched a flash mob proposal.  You should have seen it!"  I don't know very many 5-year-olds who would say such a thing.
• Then, when discussing the taste of some essential oils she interrupted to exclaim that they were "very potent."
• She came to me one morning and said, "mom, when I was a baby I was the bestest baby, and Kolton is the worstest baby.  But when I'm a teenager I'm gonna be the worstest teenager and Kolton is gonna be the bestest." "WHy would you say that?" I asked.  "Because you did"  I told her I was definately wrong because she was going to make wonderful choices all of her life.  SOmetimes I daresay she will.
• We watched a movie together that was quite sad, and as she wept, I saw that she's just as sensitive and vulnerable as I am.  It made me feel even more bonded to her; because I understand so well.
• She too, is obsessed with Les Miserable and has memorized "Castle on a Cloud." It warms my heart.
• She's doing well in school and anxiously awaiting kindergarten.
• She has six articles of faith memorized and got to go to a rewards pizza party because of it.  She was about half the next biggest kid's size.  She was so much younger than the rest, but fit right in.  They were playing musical chairs and she couldn't even reach the tall bar stools.  Eveyr time the music stopped, one of the bigger (think close to 6 foot) boys would pick her up and put her on a chair. It was sweet.
• She's a major help around the house.  She's now earning tokens for media time and so far, it's effective.  She'd watch tv all day long if I let her. 
• She hasn't been coming with me to Young Women because it's on Wednesdays now, and we all know how she loves her American Idol.  Funny girl!
• She's precious... this little girl!