We went to the temple yesterday with our friends the Fosters. I realized about an hour in to the drive that I had forgotten the camera again.

We managed to get out of the house by 7:00 as planned. The kids made it twenty minutes before asking for a movie. Things were going pretty well until about 2 1/2 hours in to the trip. Tyler got car sick and threw up all over himself. I hadn't brought any extra clothes so we made a quick stop at Walmart and picked up a new shirt for him. He had to spend the last 1/2 hour in his gross clothes until we got to the temple. Then I was able to take him in to the bathroom in the visitors' center and clean him up. I washed out his shirt and his pants, which also had a little bit on them. He got to be the pantsless wonder for most of the day.

Ben and I went in first and did some sealings, but since they didn't have many people there, we weren't able to do very many. Ben stayed in the temple to help out because the Fosters also wanted to do sealings. I had all six kids by myself for over two hours. I was surprised it took so long, but a lot of other people had come and they got a lot done. There were so many people at the visitors' center waiting room. It was really crazy.

When they got back, we packed up and went to Golden Corral. After everyone ate their fill, we had potty trips and diaper changes and headed home. We were so exhausted. I couldn't keep my eyes open, and everyone was so fussy. We stopped for another potty break about a half hour from home, but we finally made it.

We got everyone in their pajamas and headed to bed. I asked Tansy where her puppy was, and she burst in to tears saying she had left it in a locker at the temple with her Pinkalicious doll. How had I forgotten to check the lockers. I called a sister in the ward who works in the temple, but she wasn't going any time soon. She suggested I call another sister, who happens to be going on Wednesday. I am going to call to see if someone can locate Tansy's toys and have this sister bring them back on Wednesday.

I know it sounds like an ordeal, and it was, but until we get our temple in Kansas City done, this is apparently what it takes for our family to go to the temple. I just look forward to the chaos of travel being a bit more balanced with the peace of the temple when we start attending in Kansas City. Here's hoping next month isn't quite so crazy.

I can't believe I forgot to post about the best thing last week. Ben and I went on a date! I had gotten Ben tickets to Trans-Siberian Orchestra for Christmas. The show was December 29 in Kansas City. I picked up our babysitter at 12:30, and after getting her all set with the kids, we were on our way.

Shortly after leaving home, Ben and I realized that we had both had small breakfasts and no lunch. After and not-so-quick trip through the DQ drive-thru (the guy in front of us took FOREVER!), we were on our way again.

Our lunch trip had really set us back, and getting parking was crazy by the time we got to the Sprint Center. We finally made it to our seats 10 minutes after the show was supposed to start, but they were 20 minutes late getting started. I had to kick someone out of my seat, but other than that, we were good.

After the show, we went to Red Lobster and spend all $50 in gift cards my sister had given us for Christmas. That was the yummiest, cheapest dinner I ever had. Put me right to sleep on the drive home. Romantic, I know.

When we got home, the kids were asleep, the house was cleaner that when I had left, and the babysitter had left notes on the instructions I had left for her so I would know how the kids did. I wish we could hire her more often! The kids loved her too.

Sydney finally lost another tooth on Thursday. Her teeth on the bottom are nearly grown in, so it was time. She has a bit of a lisp. It's pretty cute. She was messing with it while I was teaching a piano lesson on Thursday, and I had to wrap up the lesson a couple of minutes early because she had it bleeding so badly. She had basketball practice that night, and I decided she couldn't go with a paper towel stuffed in her mouth. I wrestled her to the ground, pinned her arms with my legs, and tickled her until she opened her mouth. I barely pulled and her tooth was out. She started screaming like I had pulled her arm off. I gave her some water and a pop-tart and all was well with the world.

We wrapped her tooth in a paper towel and placed it under her pillow pet. I was really tired that night and went right to sleep. Ben forgot about the tooth and came to bed. Zack woke up puking at 5:00 Friday morning. After I got him showered and dressed, I suddenly remembered the tooth. I grabbed a Sacagawea dollar and rushed in to Sydney's room. I felt around everywhere I could reach and couldn't find the tooth. I hoped Sydney would forget when she got up and give me some time to go swipe it.

No such luck. She started calling for me right away because she discovered her tooth was still in her bed. She had moved it under her pillow which was in the middle of her bed. I helped her find her dollar. She was puzzled, but okay. She took the tooth and the coin to school with her. I wrote a note from the Tooth Fairy and hid it in her bed, explaining how she couldn't find the tooth and would be back, but she was leaving the money anyway. We "found" it that night, and Sydney was satisfied. I managed to grab the tooth while I was cleaning up her puking mess that night.

As you have guessed, we had a stomach bug. Tansy got it Wednesday, Zack got it early Friday morning, followed shortly by me, then Tyler that afternoon, then Sydney about 8:00 that evening. It was short bug, but it was still totally disgusting.

I took Tyler's binkies away on Tuesday. I was going to do it on his first birthday later this month, but I felt like we were waiting for no reason, and he was ready. I think he sleeps better now than he did before. Such a big boy!

We have achieved victory over the viruses in our home. We have a much better week. Although we did still spend a ridiculous amount of time in our pajamas.

Tyler has been reminding me frequently that he is older than I think he is. He loves to eat apples despite having only two teeth, and he will stalk the older kids waiting for them to put them down so he can go to town. He loves to grab one and crawl around the house gnawing on it. He also loves to climb up on our giant pillow and roll around. One of these days he is going to land on that enormous noggin of his. He also climbs up and down the stairs. He has been able, but not allowed, to do this for a while. Now he just ignores me and goes up anyway. Tansy and Zack escaped one day while still in their jammies. At least they put shoes on, even if Zack is wearing Tansy's boots and Tansy put hers on the wrong feet.

We forgot to take pictures at our New Year's Eve party. Our friends the Fosters (that's their son Griffin in the background) brought their chocolate fountain. The kids loved it. We let them have some dipped goodies before bed then put our kids and the Fosters' kids to bed. We stayed up playing games, eating more chocolate, and breaking in my new fondue pot. We were all so past full by the end of the night we were sick. Of course our kids didn't sleep in Saturday morning, despite the fact that we had been up until 1:30. Sigh.

I just wanted to post this video because I love how enchanted Tyler is with Zack's new race track.