Allie 21 Months

Here are Allie's up-to-the-minute top 10:

1. Allie loves to yell "Run!" and run around the island in our kitchen waiting for someone to chase her or to pop out in front of her to catch her.

2. She repeats whatever she is excited about with everyone's name in our family:

"Allie shoes, Daddy shoes, Justin shoes, Tyler shoes, Gram-pa shoes, Mommy shoes!"

3. She loves to go swinging at the park and still cries and says, "Swing all done!" over and over when it is time to come inside.

4. I don't worry about her climbing on the furniture anymore for the most part.

5. Allie got her own big container of popcorn tonight while we watched "The Lion King" as a family. She stayed in a low squat on the floor the whole time happily eating her popcorn. That girl has some serious balance!

6. She loves to look at books and have us read to her. Favorites are "Katy Duck" and "Green Hat, Blue Hat".

7. Favorite foods: bread, yogurt, bananas, frozen peas, popcorn and pretzels. She loves to play with her play food, too.

8. She is learning the ABC's and I catch her singing the song sometimes. "j,k,o-o-o-o-p,q,r,s..."

9. Whenever Allie is wearing anyone's sunglasses, the boys make rap music noises and Allie dances as they chant, "I'm a cool girl!"

10. Allie likes to dance to the music on Travis' iPhone. She loves to watch Curious George ("Monkey show!") and Martha Speaks ("Doggy Show!")

We sure do love this girl!

A little bit of this and that

I can wear earrings again!!! Allie doesn't yank them out anymore. But she does still have her eye on my accessories. Last Sunday she just HAD to wear my necklace to church because I was wearing one too. I let her because it did match her dress. It hung to her knees! Ha! Ha!

Peppermint essential oil is the ticket to no more ants! Seriously! A few weeks ago Justin discovered ants all over the floor of the kids bathroom. Must have been 50 of them...10 minutes later, no more ants! I mixed 15 drops of oil in a spray bottle with a cup of water. Just sprayed it around the baseboards since they aren't calked and I assumed that was how they got in. Then I sprayed in the door threshold for good measure. So easy and smelled amazing like a candy cane.

The next week they appeared downstairs in the kitchen. I did the same thing but it took a few days and some wadded up paper towels soaked in the spray and stuffed along the edges of the dishwasher and oven. No more ants in the kitchen either! Oh, I am thrilled! Anybody want a candy cane?

We just watched Captain America the other night and I'm looking forward to seeing The Avengers.

I am a weed-pulling machine! Just in case you were wondering. I noticed we have some sort of hole-digging, tunnel-creating rodent in our yard. And I'm pretty sure that's a not good thing. Yep. Oh boy.

Speaking of church. (Was I?) I just got a calling in our new ward...1st Counselor in Primary. My boys are so excited to have me in Primary with them. I am looking forward to it, too! I will be over activity days, nursery, nursing home sacrament visits and music. I will be teaching a sharing time lesson to all the children under 12 once or twice a month, conducting the meeting when it is my turn, planning activities for the entire group of kids and making sure the separate age-group classes are running smoothly each Sunday. Piece of cake, right? I'm ready to jump in!

Popcorn and orange juice is calling my name. You, too?

Travis is has been running almost every day now. He is doing such a great job! I am amazed how he can run up and down all these hills in our neighborhood. He is my superman!