The Barker Family Journal: 2009

Our Kids Say & Do The Craziest Things Sometimes...

"Hewo"... Kourtney's way to say Hello! Other words of Kourtney as of 3/11... sorry, bye bye, share some, ylar (Skylar), darson (Karson), Brode, Ben, help, pease (please), thank you, your welcome, goooo (at hockey games), yeah, me, colors...really anything, she will repeat! Her vocab is growing!

"What is lethargic?" said Karson... "The cousin to allergic!" said Brody... when we were all sitting around the table discussing Karson's sick symptons... (2/11)

Some words Kourtney is saying: Hello, Hi, bbbbb for book, bbb for blanket, ba-ba for bottle, mom, da da, ba for ball, ahhhhhh all the time for just about anything! (6/10)

"Dad, why do you like Michigan? (Pause) Oh I know, because Michigan is a M team and mom starts with M and you like mom." Brody chatting it up with dad (1/10).

"Look dad, we're matchy matchy...Brode and me matchy matchy." What Bennett says when his clothes are similar to anyone else's clothes. (11/09)

"It's blood mom... fake blood." What Brody and Bennett said to mom after she questioned what the little pieces of paper with red marker on it and taped to their faces were. And then she questioned why again..."we're boxing mom... it's the blood on boxers' faces mom" (10/09)

They tape on "eye black" also to their faces when they play football downstairs. (10/09)

"ewwww that's grose...dad has lipstick now!" What Bennett said after he saw Mom and Dad kiss. (9/09)

"Kourtney Boo" (Karson's nickname for Kourtney)

"Kourtney Bacon" (Ben's nickname for Kourtney)

"yip" (Ben, 3 years)

"Ben, you don't need gloves, only "pernessional" hockey players wear them like me." (Brody - 5/09)

"Mom you be Padme, Baby Kourtney be Princess Lea, Brody be Han, me be Luke." (Bennett - playing Star Wars - 4/09)

"Out of the Bloom" (Karson - a mixed up cliche... probably meant out of the blue - 4/09)

"Leaning tower of pizza tables" (Karson - a little confused about a tourist spot in Italy 4/09)

"Me here, me here... It ok, it ok, it ok"(Bennett - talking to Kourtney to help her stop crying - 4/09)

"Maybe the Holy Spirit IS "The Force" mom. (Brody - a random thought of his while driving in the car one day - 2/09).

Brody was told by mom that he could earn a "reward ticket" every time HE remembered to brush his teeth in the mornings. Mom asked him if he had brushed his teeth yet... his reply was no, but he would. Mom told him that wouldn't earn him a ticket though... a few moments later Brody held up is hand and said to mom, "YOU DON'T REMEMBER!" (Brody trying to use "The Force" on mom to get a ticket. :) - 3/09)

"Uhhhhhhhhh (while shaking his head)" (Bennett doing his impression of Chebaka from Star Wars - 1/09)

"Hey Hey...You You...girlfriend!" (Bennett singing a favorite song - 12/08)

"Thank you" "You're welcome" (Bennett using his manners, he can say them quite clearly - 30 months)

"Look, it's dad's favorite show. Too bad he's not here to watch it." (Brody while eating at a restaurant with College football on the tvs - 9/08)

Brody:"Mom did you know that Ninja Turtles like Pizza?"

Mom: "They do?"

Brody: "But you know what? They don't say prayer first"

Mom: "Maybe they don't know they should say prayer or maybe they don't know how to pray. Maybe you should teach them how to pray"

Brody: "Mom...they're toys!"

(Brody while he was lying in bed and mom "trying" to make it a "Gospel Teaching Moment!" 7/08)

"Dad, are you going to be on TV?"

(Karson asking dad when she saw him get ready to go golfing, 7/08)

"I can run faster than a donkey and a bullet!"

Brody-10/07

"Thank you for our nice house and our cozy beds"

Karson (while praying, 6 yrs)

"Varoom!"

Bennett (for the word cars)

"Mom, watch me be Shamu" "Mom, say, look there is Shamu's nose!" "Mom, be quiet, you'll scare Baby Shamu" "Mom, look at Shamu splash his tail" "Ahwooa"

Brody - 3/08

Whimpers and crawls around like a dog... even in stores, everywhere!

Bennett - 10 months and older

Has to race to get his diaper changed, and wants "Brode" to say "mark...go"

Bennett - 18 months and older

Uses sign language to "say" a few words: "more" "please" "thankyou" "drink"

Bennett - (when mom didn't want to hear his screams anymore, 9 months and older)

"Say What?"

Karson -(who watches too much Hannah Montana, 6 yrs)

"I want to feed Harry the Horse....mmm, maybe Dawn, yah Dawn the Horse."

Brody - 3/08

"There's crocodiles in the toilet! There's a whole family of crocodiles...one's a mommy and one's a daddy"

Brody - (while sitting on the toilet doing his "business", 3/08)

"That was a great book!"

Brody - (while "reading" a book in the car, 3/08)

Runs up to mom and grabs her legs and gives a big hug!

Bennett - 2 yrs +

"BoonDock"

Bennett - (first "compound" word... and doesn't stop saying it!, 6/08)

"uv you!"

Bennett - 2 yrs

Hugs and hugs and hugs and hugs you! Likes to snuggle up with you or hold your arm... a very loving boy!

Bennett - 2 yrs

"Pets are a lot of responsibility... that's what Emily said about Clifford"

Brody - ("responsibility" was a little difficult to decipher :)6/08)

Reads on her bed and plays Polly Pockets or cars in her room all by herself.

Karson (after moving to a room of her own, 6/08)

"Nake -Nake"

Bennett (for the word naked while smiling and laughing, 6/08)

Tries to convince Brody or Bennett to go downstairs with her so she can watch TV, because she is "scared" to go by herself.

Karson - (since the basement has been completed and the tv is there!)

"jeep" "jeep" "jeep"

Brody -(he could spy a jeep anywhere, even before mom or dad would see one, 2 yrs)

"Where's the dirty hamster mom?"

Brody -(asking where he should put his dirty clothes, 6/08)

"Toot"

Bennett - (as he laughs about it, 18 months +)

"Thank you for being a good boy"

Brody - (what he said after being asked, "what do you think Jesus would say to you if he visited you today?", 5/08)

Brody: "Mom, I got mad and said stupid"

Mom: "To who?"

Brody: "To my band."

Mom: "To who?"

Brody: TO MY BAND, There's ten of them."

Mom: "You need to go say you're sorry. We don't say that word."

Brody leaves out the door and says "something"

Mom: "What did your band say when you said sorry?"

Brody: "Thank you"

Brody - (while playing in the garage by himself, 5/08)

"I miss great grandpa!"

Brody - all the time

"war-mit"

Karson (trying to say Wal-Mart, 3yrs)

"Bapoo"

(Karson, for diaper, 2 yrs)

"Neece"

(Karson, for Trenten, 2yrs+)

"Ya-Ya"

(Karson, for Jocelyn, 2 yrs+)

"Yo, yo...me!"

Bennett - his version of the song, "Yo ho, Yo ho, the pirate life for me!"

"Don't ...Maul ...Don't Maul"

Bennett - playing "Star Wars", 2yrs.

Brody: "Ben, I hate to tell you this..."

Mom: "Brode, we don't use that word..."

Brody: "Ben, I love to tell you this, but I'm gonna need that stool."

Brody - talking to Bennett while Bennett was standing on a stool brushing his teeth, 7/10/08

"Overdrive... excelery"

Karson and Brody - playing Power Rangers (Overdrive excelerate) Summer 08.

Family Favorites

* A clean house
* Backyardigans
* Being kind
* Book Time before bed
* Cars cars
* Chocolate
* Cookies&Cream icecream
* Copper Creek Neighborhood
* Disneyland
* Eating out (at least for mom)
* Eating Taco Salad with Doritos
* Friends for dad to golf with
* Friends for mom to talk to
* Getting Treats
* Ginger Ale
* Going for walks
* Hearing the kids pray
* Hearing, "I love you"
* Hearing, "I wuv you"
* Hugs and kisses from Benny
* Hugs and kisses from Brody
* Hugs and kisses from Karson
* Lightsabers
* Michigan - Go Blue!
* Packages in the mail
* Playing ball
* Playing hockey
* Primary songs
* Reading the Book of Mormon Stories
* Riding bikes
* Sea World
* Shamu
* Shamu Splash
* Singing in FHE
* Visiting cousins
* Visiting Grandparents
* Weekends

12.30.2009

Countdown to Christmas!

As a family we tried to do a few things to help us get in the Christmas spirit:

**Made Gingerbread Man cookies

(Karson was the photographer)

**Made Rudolph Cookies

**Watched the traditional Christmas Movies... Some of Dad's favorites.

**Participated in a NativityPlay and had a Christmas Party at the Tuellers

Karson as Mary

Brody and Bennett as Two Wise Men

Kourtney as Baby Jesus

Brock as Joseph

Dani as Angel

Mia and Dan as Shepherds

**Drove around looking at Christmas Lights

**Delievered presents to the "Bishop's Room" to help those needing "a little something" at Christmas

**Had Family Home Evening lessons about Jesus Christ

**Opened Granparent presents early (just to see if they remembered how to unwrap from last year :)

12.26.2009

Kourtney's Firsts

December 2009 has been a month of "Firsts" for Kourtney

First time to crawl (around the second week in December)... we were hoping she would wait until after Christmas because of the tree, but nope... she started to crawl the week after we put it up and then of course we had to put up a blockade too.

First time falling down the stairs...and first child to fall down the stairs.

First time to stand up in her bed... I think it's the earliest any of our children of stood up in their bed. We now have to play the "game:" Kourtney stands up... we lay her down... she stands up... we lay her down, etc. etc. etc.

First hair cut... courtesy of Aunt Ashlee of course. It was really just a little trim, but very professionally done!

First time to get trapped! Another example of how she is quite the little busy body and all over the place... mom has to ALWAYS keep an eye on her!

First Christmas... so fun! She would get so excited seeing presents being unwrapped. (see also Christmas Post)

First time in The Nativity Play... and being the youngest, she was Baby Jesus.

Kourtney also has a First Love... her pink blanket (or maybe it's her second love and her thumb is her first) When she's ready for bed, she puts her thumb in her mouth and wants her blanket and then pulls it up to her face and goes to sleep (cross fingers).

First tooth to make an appearance... We noticed it right at the end of the month.

12.04.2009

FLASH BLACK!

I found a camera card with a lot of pictures on it... a lot of pictures of the kids a few years back...

I sometimes forget how quickly they change... it makes me sad to know they are growing and changing and will NEVER be "this" little again! I'm so grateful for pictures...so I can look at them and have a moment of nostalgia.

12.01.2009

Kourtney turned 8 months!

It's difficult to believe Kourtney is already 8 month's old... time is flying by!

Kourtney is...

close to crawling

getting frustrated she's not moving yet

eating well

bored with all her toys

always wanting things she can't play with

loved by her family!

11.27.2009

The end of an era

Mom was released as Primary President after 3+ years...

It wasn't really a relief like everyone thought it would be for me... It was more of a disappointment... And it really didn't "hit" me until the first Sunday I went to Sunday School and Relief Society... I was teary and just wanting to be down the hall in the Primary room...

I love serving in Primary...

I love hearing the children sing, I get goosebumps and feel the Spirit.

I love hearing children share their testimonies.

I love the children's unconditional love and acceptance.

I love helping the children learn the Gospel.

I love helping the children understand the importance of choosing the right and trying to be like Jesus.

I love watching children get baptized.

I love seeing children receive their Faith in God award.

I love seeing cub scouts show off their awards and wear their uniform with pride.

I love watching children in the Primary Program.

I love hearing others say they love Primary too!

I love working with fabulous leaders and teachers!

I LOVED spending time with all the children in the ward!

I LOVED working with HD, SW, MJ, LE, BC, VP, SJ and all the other fabulous people in Primary

A Happy Halloween 2009

One would never be able to tell what's been happening in our home lately by looking at this year's Kid's Halloween Costumes...

Brody was a little sick and didn't want to Trick or Treat much, but the week before we got to go to the School Halloween Carnival and we also went to a haunted house... AND mom and dad dressed up for a Halloween Party... a Halloween to remember!

Kourtney turned 7 months!

... on October 27, 2009

Kourtney is...

-recovering from being sick... a little "piggie" visited her :)

-playing with and "eating" everything she can get her hands on... She has an "eagle eye" for the remote!

-eating 3+ solid meals a day... cereals, applesauce, peaches, pears, blueberries, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, biter biscuits (see picture), and PUFFS... She LOVES the puffs!