Painter Kids Productions

Can you say the next Ron Howard?






When I was a kid my brothers and I made several small films such as these. (Of course, they were a little higher standard, these are clearly amature.) We had so much fun staging robberies and rescues we used our wagon as a stagecoach and I'd wear my mom's slip and cowboy boots. Of course I was always the damsel in distress (being the only damsel in my family). The kids were a getting a little bored the other day (it's been fall break this week) so I let them make their own movies. I'm quite proud of my little producers and it was a lot of fun reminiscing on good times...I wonder where those old movies are? I hope you enjoy as much as I did, but of course being their mother I am a little biased.

Looking for a sitter

My kids overheard me calling different babysitters last night. We have several awesome girls in our ward, so I am lucky. Unfortunately the top two were busy already. The following debate ensued...(names have been changed to protect individuals privacy and feelings)

Me: "Well, M and K are busy so I'll have to call someone else"

Wendi and Emily: Mom, don't call _______, just don't call her"

Me: "Why"

Wendi and Emily: "She's really mean and bossy. She makes us do stuff."

Me: "Like what?"

Girls: "I don't know, like chores and stuff, she's just really bossy"

Me: "Well, is she meaner and bossier than me?" "You should be pretty used to mean and bossy, with me as your mom"

Wendi, the ever honest one hesitates just a little: "ummmm, well, ummm"

Emily, ever my champion and defender hesitates just a slight bit less than Wendi: "No, you're not mean and bossy, well, she's meaner and bossier than you"

Wendi, still undecided and not sure if the truth is better left unsaid, and yet not willing to lie so bold faced as her sister:"ummmm, well, hmmmm"

Me, not wanting to cause Wendi to have a brain hemmorage, I change the subject to something lighter: "What movie are we going to rent"

P.S. We rented Speed Racer which I thought pretty violent given it was a kids' movie and it used profanity several times in the movie. I fast forwarded to the race parts, but I wouldn't rent it if you haven't seen it yet.

Conversations with my kids...

This one I overheard between Wendi and Emily:

Wendi: "Emily, did you know that flowers have male and female parts?"
Emily: "What?"
Wendi: "You know, flowers...they have male and female parts?"
Emily: "What does that mean!?"
Wendi: (in a very exasperated tone) "You know, like a man and a woman"
Emily: (looking as if it was made not a bit clearer) "Oooohhh..."

This one we had yesterday in the car. I had stopped and got a soda because I had a headache and because, well, I wanted one. Nothing goes unobserved by my children though.

Me: drinking a soda
Choir of children: I want a soda, I want a soda...I'm thirsty...I need a drink (whine, whine, whine..this goes on throughout the whole conversation, like the doo-wop kids or something)
Me: No
Wendi: Mom, is drinking soda good for the baby?
Me: (after some deliberation) I don't drink it every day, a little bit doesn't hurt.
Wendi: But you didn't say it was good for the baby
Me: It's fine for the baby
Wendi: I really don't think you should drink that soda mom.
Other kids: Sodaaaaaa, we want a sodaaaaaa....

Oh, the wisdom of nearly-9-year-olds.

A week or so after school started my sister in law said Emily had mentioned that she didn't have friends at school. I was surprised because Emily is constantly getting invited to friends' houses and has many friends so I asked her about it.

Me: "Emily, Sara told me that you said you don't have any friends at school, do you feel like you have friends at school?"
Emily: "What?"
Me: "Sara told me you said you didn't have friends, is that true?"
Emily: "What?"
Me: "So, you do have friends at school?"
Emily: "Um, yeah, can I go to Alec's house then on Friday?"

Sara later said that Emily had ammended her statement by saying she had lots of friends but no special friend, like Madelyn. (Her cousin). If she had told me that I would have told her that it's really rare to find anyone as special as Madelyn and she's just lucky to have been born into the same family as her best friend. We're sad that Maddy lives so far away in Kansas though.

Pictures from our summer

The slideshow pics are from this past summer. Our family went to Disneyland in June and also spent an afternoon on the beach. Some highlights from that trip were: watching the kids play in the ocean. Keith was a wild man and literally nothing was moving faster than he was on the beach. He looked like a ping pong ball going from the ocean, running back to us, running down the beach and then back into the ocean. Alan and I actually had to sit him in "time out" and explain why he couldn't dive head first into the waves. The older girls had a great time looking for shells and squealing when the waves splashed up to their chests. Abbie was deathly afraid of the ocean and eyed it with much apprehension and suspicion. She was happy to play in the sand and sit with her dad high up on the beach away from the water. (Note: the day before we went on vacation Alan almost cut his finger off with some gardening shears. He was in quite a bit of pain and couldn't get it wet at all.)



The kids had a great time at Disneyland although it was hot and crowded. Some highlights from Disneyland were : watching Abbie's reaction to just about everything: the parades, the crowds, the rides...she and Keith liked Pirates the best and we went on it several times. Wendi finally overcame her fear and went on the Matterhorn. It quickly became her favorite ride and she was very proud of herself. Emily said she wanted to go on Space Mountain and that the last time she went on it she wasn't scared a bit. (What actually happened: My family went to Disneyland for Christmas of 2006. Uncle Steven took Emily and Alan took Wendi on Space Mountain. Both girls wouldn't lift their heads up the entire ride, screamed in terror and when they got off were sobbing and white as ghosts...but of course that doesn't mean that Emily was scared.) We didn't end up going on Space Mountain because the lines were too long.

I should note that our dvd player broke on the way to California and I thought it would be a terrible drive, but the kids were really good and it was a great family vacation.

The story behind my broken camera (photography and story provided by Keith)

I discovered several weeks ago that my camera will not turn on. I was getting ready for Keith's birthday party and of course I wanted to capture it on film. For two reasons: number 1: I hate organizing birthday parties. My children get one "friend party", at least while their still little (aka until they turn 25). Wendi had hers when she was five and that set the precedent for the rest of the kids. Reason #2 for capturing on film this happy occasion: proof that I did indeed throw him at least one party. ( I know I will be accused later, it comes with the title of "mom"). Upon trying to capture a perfect moment the discovery was made. My camera was broken. (My dad saved the day and brought his camera...photos to be posted at a later date). Today I wanted to see what I had on the memory card and these beauties opened up on the screen..




Hmmm...I wonder what happened to my camera? In a word...Keith.