Yo, it's 2014.

Rachel: (sniffing her dinner) I do not like this.
Me: You haven't tried it yet.
Rachel: But I smelled it and it smells gross so I know I won't like it.
Ella: I know how things are going to taste because I have scents. (sense?)
Caleb: You do not.  You can't know how things are going to taste just by smelling them.  Then you would have 8 senses and there are actually only 7.
Me: Well, actually there are only 5.
Caleb: Oh, yeah.  Unless you are a duckbill platypus.  Then you have an extra one to sense electrical impluses.

Well, naturally.  :)  And welcome to 2014, right?
___________________________________________

I don't have any cute new year pictures to post, because...well, we haven't really let our kids in on the "secret" that most people stay up late and party to bring in the new year.  We had a fun dinner - shrimp the last two years.  Treats after dinner (microwave s'mores this year).  We talk about how exciting it is that tomorrow will be whole new year.  Then...they go to bed like normal.  Hahaha. :)  They will probably hold it against us when they get a little older and figure out that we've been holding back.  Kip and I didn't exactly party, either - some candy and falling asleep on the couch while he watched a Discovery channel show about Africa.  Yup, we're wild.  Happy New Year!
_________________________________

Setting: I'm crocheting while the girls sleep.  Rachel wakes up and watches for a  minute.
Rachel: That looks hard.
Me: Well, it's easy once you learn  how.
Rachel: But not for little kids.
Me: Yeah, probably you need to be a little older.
Rachel: Yeah, like I need to be 8 or 20 or 90 before I can do it.

For sure, somewhere between 8 and 20 and 90 should be good. :)
 _______________________________________

Setting: Rachel is crashing a vehicle with a doll into a wall repeatedly, and yelling something each time.  I finally hear it:
Rachel: OH!  My nuts!
Me:  What was that Rach?
Caleb (calling from the other room and always eager to bring Rachel to justice): SHE SAID OH MY NUTS!
Me: Rach, do you even know what that means?
Rachel: Yes, it means your stomach.
Me: Nope. It's a less polite word for a boy's private parts.
Caleb (still from other room): YEAH, YOUR DOLL DOESN'T HAVE NUTS!
Me: Oh, dear.
Rachel (Crashing her doll again): Oh, my bum!
Me: Oh, dear....

__________________________________________

Caleb, from the backseat of the car while we drive home from church:
Caleb: Mom, when did you become blind?
Me: Um, well I don't know what you mean... I'm not blind.
Caleb: Well, you know, because you wear glasses and contacts and stuff.

___________________________________________

Life's an adventure, isn't it?   We replaced the rear brakes, and pulled out two more of Ella's teeth.  She was again visited double by the tooth fairy, and Caleb was again very, very envious of her loot.

With teeth:

 Without teeth! (but still a big smile and wild crazy hair!) 

 There are the holes!  Her next two grown up teeth were coming in directly behind her front middle teeth, so this is supposed to make space for them to move forward; it will last for a few more years when a more permanent space solution will be decided on.  Same thing they did for her bottom teeth.

We spent the most recent weekend going back over the river and through the woods to grandma's house (or actually over the snowy passes and through the mountains) so we could welcome CJ  back from his mission to Bogota, Columbia.  He looked very well and pretty tired (overnight flight) but was happy and enthusiastic about the service and work he has done for 2 years.  We were glad to see him again.

And Daddy took the kids on horseback rides.  McKinley is BIG fan! (Really, she is, I know she looks kind of...concerned...in the photo, but she laughs and smiles the whole time. She loves the horses!)

Happy New Year everyone!