Just another day at school....

From time to time on that rare occasion, when necessary, the kids will get a spanking (usually with the wood spoon).  Morgan tends to be the one who responds best to this form of discipline.  So today she comes skipping in the house from school and hands me an activity book with a sticker and in a very matter of fact fashion tells me it's for daddy.  It reads, "Hands are not for Hitting."  They did this last year when Isaac was in Kindergarten.  Any time Isaac would get a spanking last year he would proclaim, "Hands are for loving and hugging, not for hitting."  It worked for him probably the first time.  Then we started to tell him that hands are also for disciplining!!!  Got to love their logic!

Rick proudly wore the sticker the rest of the day!

Little Giggles

Last night Rick and I woke up 3 different times to hear our little Morgan giggling in her sleep, and it wasn't just for a second or two, she would giggle for almost a full minute!  When we asked her this morning what she had dreamed about she told us "Mommy had a new baby boy!"  Of course, Rick and I found that one quite humorous as well!!!!!!!!

Kids say the darndest things....

Morgan:  "I wasn't born to wear jeans!" - the girl cannot stand jeans, "they're not pretty enough!" Only skirts, dresses, and slacks for her.

Luke:  amidst chaos - "I don't know what's happening!"  "What you fink about dat,"  stalling tactic - "Just 2 minutes!" When he really does not want to do something he will simply say, "Next Saturday," which according to him never comes.  I don't know why, it's not like we've ever used that one on him.....

Isaac:  "Stop freakin' out" - somehow that's usually geared towards me or Morgan.

"This little guy can sleep"

From birth, Luke has been able to sleep anywhere, anytime, anyplace, in any condition.  If he is tired enough he will just close his eyes and go to sleep.  Doesn't matter if he is in the middle of eating with food in his mouth, playing with a friend, on the ceramic tile, in the middle of sucking on a lollipop, playing a video game, riding on a tube on the back of a boat, in the middle of playing in the nursery, or on the potty.  He just doesn't care, he will sleep anywhere!

We even get to have a little fun with it sometimes.  He went from peacefully sleeping on my shoulder here at 6 Flags over Georgia to

waking up belted in on this crazy roller coaster ride.

  I never laughed so hard in all my life!  You should have seen the sheer look of horror on his face!  I know we're pretty cruel parents to amuse ourselves in such a way!  But he got over it pretty quickly once the ride was over and he was able to breathe again!  And I think he kind of had a good time!?!?

Well, I guess I can see where he gets it from!

Bath time for the Pigs!

The kids really look forward to this form of animal cruelty, I mean nurturing experience of bathing their pets!  No stinky pets!

Not real sure what Luke was doing in this picture.  However, I do know he wasn't having a tantrum.  For he too likes to terrorize, I mean bathe the animals!

Child Labor

You know those jobs that we just really don't like to do but that have to be done every so often.....  I'm sure glad my kids enjoy doing them!

(she must have really been feeling like Cinderella that day.....)

Thank you Luke and Morgan!

Puzzles!

There's nothing like a good "puzzle night" to occupy your time when it's cold outside!  Our family enjoys putting puzzles together.  It's fun to see everyone working together and having a good time! 

Dad and Isaac had fun putting together this 100 pc. puzzle

And Morgan and Luke had fun putting together this alphabet puzzle

Completed!

Completed!

I think we're now ready to take on the 1,000 pc. set!?!?!

It's playdough time!

Every couple of months we make a fresh batch of playdough.  The kids love to help make it!

Morgan likes to make pretend food (i.e. pancakes, cookies, pizzas, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc...).

Luke likes to make things that move (i.e. skateboards, cars, trains, planes, trucks, etc....).

When Isaac plays he likes to make volcanos and mountains and buildings.

They all like to use the letters and numbers for their names, counting and just playing!

Our family goals for 2009

1. More consistent personal scripture reading and personal prayer.

2. More quality family time/family vacations/family game nights, etc...

3. Teach the kids to cook and clean up after - Yay!

4. Less t.v. and video game time - yikes!

5. Try to speak more softly (mostly Mom and Morgan).....

6. Be more content with what we have than what we don't.

7. Seek out missionary experiences and act on them (create our family mission plan).

8. Eat healthier!

9. Exercise more consistently!

10. More date nights for Mom and Dad.

These goals are in no particular order!

Can't wait to see how we did at the end of the year.....

Potty Time!

I couldn't resist this shot!  I guess the goggles are just in case he falls in!?!?

Luke

Bedtime Routine

Our bedtime routine usually starts out pretty calm with warm baths and showers, combing hair, pajamas, I floss and brush all the kids teeth, potty break, scripture, prayer,  story time and  family council. Daddy gives the kids all piggy back rides to bed, and then somehow it turns into this!

The boys

Wrestle Mania

Missing Jazzy

Over winter break we had the privilege of taking care of the Angell's toy poodle, Jazzy.  The kids had a lot of fun with her.  Isaac and Morgan constantly fought over whose turn it was to to hold her, brush her, feed her, take her out, etc...(mind you we have a cute chocolate cockerspaniel of our own, Nephi).  So the other night I heard Morgan crying in her room, when I asked her why she was sad she told me she misses Jazzy (she was sobbing as if she had lost her best friend).  I explained to her that we could watch her again another time, but for now we have Nephi to play with.  She persisted to tell me that Nephi is too big (30lbs.) to hold and dress up and he doesn't really like to be brushed or bathed.  So I told her she could dress up the guinea pigs, Kelly and Skipper, and bathe them and brush their fur.  That seemed to bring a smile to her face and she was ready to get up and get started right away (poor pigs!).

Morgan and Jazzy

Isaac and Jazzy

Nephi and Skipper

Skipper

Kelly

The Toothfairy

the candy cane was a little bribe

Morgan lost another tooth, that makes two now.  Both times she has refused to let us pull them out.  She would rather keep her cute little baby teeth than replace them with those large, adult permanent teeth.  It was literally hanging by a thread!  I being the "mean mom", reached in and lifted it right out ( I was afraid she would swallow it in her sleep that night).  Once it was out she was totally fine with it, ready for the Toothfairy visit!  As usual, the Toothfairy was running a little late and made her visit later that morning.  It didn't matter to Morgan either way, the only disappointment was that the Toothfairy only left a dollar this time!  We explained to her that the Toothfairy leaves the amount of money she believes the tooth is worth, i.e. how hard it was to pull out, the size of the tooth, care given, etc....

Recap: Christmas 2008

Christmas fun at the Cheek's home

Isaac and Santa

Morgan and Santa

Luke and Santa

Mom helping Luke make a donut snowman

Christmas Sunday

(Dad was taking the picture - sorry Dad!)

Christmas Card

Isaac and Luke having fun with the toy soldier

Luke sampling the Gingerbread House

Our Gingerbread House

What a wonderful and blessed time of year!  Everything is so peaceful and beautiful!  Lots of fun Christmas activities!

Our Christmas was filled with joy and excitement!  On Christmas Eve, as tradition would have it, we read the story of Jesus' birth and watched Joy to the World."  The kids were very antsy with excitement!  They wanted to hurry and get to bed in anticipation of the coming morning (that only happens once a year)!  They put out their cookies they decorated for santa and milk, with care,  and hurried off to bed.  While Isaac and Morgan fell fast asleep, Luke was up running around and playing until almost 11:00.

Christmas morning the kids were up and ready at 5:30 (and were quickly sent back to bed until 7:00).  At 7:00 everyone was up and the cameras were rolling, ready to catch all the excitement!

Christmas Morning

Luke and Isaac with their batmobiles

Isaac intently reading and following the directions

Luke unloading!

Need dynamite?

Dad not following the directions!

Morgan looking pretty content