The message I send

Whenever the kids are going anywhere I fill their heads with a million ways to act and not act, warnings, you better not's, etc. "Don't go by the pool, don't eat any food or snacks, use your manners, don't be so hyper, don't be annoying (jk), use the bathroom lots of times to make sure you have no accidents", you get the idea. After listing off my list on the phone with Charlotte the other day I realized that all this time I've been sending the wrong messages. Those aren't really the most important words for her to here. Instead I'm making an effort to change my ways, forget the warnings...I'm going to try harder to tell them how great they are & how much I love them. Those are the messages I really want to be sending.

California

Rozlyn and I just got back from a quick and fun vacation to California. We were able to see my parents on their mission and introduce them to little Mallory Jane. I know the hardest part of my parents mission has been not being able to see their grandkids after the births so we made the special trip out to Cali. Mason and Charlotte stayed with Dad and Rozlyn and Mallory came with me. We were both arguing over who would have it easier that weekend, me or him. Funny how much perspective changes over 8 years of parenting, I'm pretty sure at one point of my life I lost sleep over the anxiety preceeding taking two kids on an airplane, by myself. Chris said the same thing, who would have guessed that having two kids in your care for three straight days with no mom could be such a vacation. Anyway....

The airport is such a happy place. I love how it looks like Mallory is trying to smile for the camera.

Mallory meet Grandpa - Grandpa meet Mallory. I was worried about the stranger danger factor but she loved both Grandma and Grandpa so we were happy.

Isn't she so cute

Rozlyn was greeted with a welcome box full of treats, games, activity books that she could use on her trip. Then she got to go to the store pick out any DVD she wanted and spent a few dollars on whatever she wanted. This is a picture of when she was hungry about 9:00 at night, (11:00 her time) and she wanted a Subway sandwhich. Since we have a million of them here I tried to persuade her to other more novel unique ideas (The Del Taco, ha ha) but Subway was her only dream and Grandma and Grandpa wanted to make it come true. We laughed that three adults went in to Subway for one six inch sub for a 5 year old at 9 at night.

Breakfast - "ROZ" pancake special

In front of the mission office

This is the treat I found when I took Mallory out of her carseat at security in the airport. The dilema, do I hold her towards me, getting it all over me, who doesn't have a change of cloths or hold her out for the world to see what I get to go clean up? What would you have done? I held her out, avoided eye contact with everyone and made a dash to the restroom. Rozlyn still informed me that people were laughing at us.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, sharing some sisterly love on the drive home after they were reunited.
Rozlyn wasn't even a monster for the days following the trip. I didn't know what to expect from her after she got whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it on the trip. She was happy and grateful and I'm so glad for the memory we created. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.