Time Keeps On Slipping...

I've had a goal for the past week to update with some new pictures- it really shouldn't be this difficult! October has been so much better than September for many reasons. One, we aren't sick and two, we have fun things to do! #1 loves preschool and I'm grateful for the easy transition. Baby N has FINALLY started to sleep through the night and take longer naps too. She has not been as easy in terms of sleep training, but I feel we are in a good rhythm now. N loves to clap, eat things off the floor, climb stairs, and be around people. She says "mama", "dada" and "baba", although we aren't sure if she's using with them any kind of context. Sometimes I feel like she says "mama" and "dada" correctly, but it may just be coincidental. #1 is getting really good with his letters and numbers, playing on the computer, and can find several different countries on our globe- Canada of course being his first to learn. His latest thing to do is to spin the globe and tell us where he is going on his mission, which S regulates by telling him which ones are full of terrorists. Lovely. Anyways, here's some pictures of the latest.

Our friends the Bybees came down for the weekend and we visited some of the local sites, including our favorite pumpkin patch. #1 wasn't being super cooperative with the picture takings as is usually the case. Sometimes I consider going and getting professional pictures taken, but I'm pretty sure #1 would just give the stink eye the entire time.




We had fun nonetheless.



Baby N and her boyfriend.


We went to McDonalds before Jessica and the boys took off. I miss my friend, but I'm so glad we are still able to occasionally visit. The Bybees are truly like family to us.

Someone else likes McDonalds- I'm hoping one day we'll win S over.


It's been getting pretty chilly around here. I put N in her winter coat this morning and she literally could not move. A Christmas Story flashback for sure. Getting kids out the door has gotten a lot more complicated with the need for socks and coats. #1 can dress himself, but he consistently puts his clothes on backwards and his shoes on the wrong feet. Maybe he's trying to bring back the styling of Kriss Kross.



Following family tradition, we grabbed some big pumpkins from the farmer's market on General Conference weekend. One is used as a jack-o-lantern and the other is cut, boiled, pureed and frozen so we can have pumpkin pie and other yummy pumpkin treats year round. Apparently N thought pumpkin looked pretty good in its raw form.





We are excited for Halloween to come!

Wild Goose Chase

#1ism

Listening to a song about a "wild goose chase"

#1: Mommy what is a goose chase?
M: Well, it's a saying people use when they don't end up where they want to be.
#1: But what about the goose?
M: Well, when you are following a goose around, the goose takes you all over the place because it doesn't really know where it's going. When someone is on a wild goose chase, it's like they ran around chasing a goose and didn't get anywhere worthwhile.
#1: But Mom, I know exactly where the goose is going!
M: Where's that, #1?
#1: To McDonalds! Or Sonic!

Apparently geese have an affinity for fast food...

The Plague

We been sick since Labor Day weekend. There have been times where I wonder if someone upstairs is trying to tell me something. #1 seemed to get the brunt of it, poor kid. Several days ago, his fever got to the point where we were advised to go to the emergency room. This wasn't a simple matter because S was about to teach Sunday school, but I managed to get in contact with him and he literally got a last minute substitute. We ended up in the ER for 6 hours. #1 was so brave. There were several times where the nurses would come in for tests and would remark at how well he was taking it. One procedure involved a rather uncomfortable method of removing nasal fluid, but #1 did not make a peep. I find it ironic that I have an extremely cautious son with a high level of pain tolerance and an extremely adventurous daughter with a very low level of pain tolerance. Baby N does not do so well when it comes to doctors. I have to plan ahead if she is going in for shots because I know that she will be screaming for the rest of the day. Anyways, life hasn't been much fun around here lately. I'm finally starting to feel better and then baby N woke up two nights ago with the croup. Circle of sickness- at this point I'm wondering if we are starting to reinfect each other.

#1ism
After picking #1 up from preschool
Me: So #1, how was preschool?
#1: Not very good.
Me panicking: Why??? What happened??
#1: No one picked a fight with me.

After a while he told me that that wasn't the bad part. He was upset that he didn't get to ride the yellow bus. I found our conversation pretty funny though.

PRESCHOOL!!

My baby started preschool today. A high school here runs a preschool three times a week in the mornings and we decided to participate this year. A lot of friends have been and are in the program and it has come highly recommended. As we pulled out of the parking lot after dropping #1 off, S looked at me and said "We are getting so old." It's amazing how fast my children are growing up.

I was so thrilled for #1 and yet nervous. We've had many great opportunities since we moved out here as far as preschool goes. #1 started in a co-op preschool with 5 different moms teaching a theme once a week when he was 2 years old. We've have been in babysitting groups for date nights and this summer he went to a little preschool run by young women in our church. But this was the first time I've left him with someone I didn't know really well and I guess that is where the anxiety came from.

I was more nervous than #1 though. He held my hand for the first few minutes when we got into the door and then he spied the train table and took off. Some high school students tried to engage him, but he was having none of that. Baby steps. I'm so proud of my little boy.

Here he is waiting to get out the door.


Baby N wanted in on the action too.


So big!! This is getting to me a little...


The first thing he did when he got home- I think he missed her.




His teacher said he did great playing on his own and with his friends. I can tell it's going to be interesting getting reports from #1 about what happened in school. Today I heard how he had two cherry lollipops because he dropped the first one and how they collected leaves outside because it's fall. Other than that, it was like pulling teeth to get more details. Typical male. As long as he's happy I guess.

As a side note, I've been filling some of my time lately with making organza flower hair accessories for N. It's been a ton of fun and - spoiler Christmas alert- I've decided to make them for all the little girls in our family. I used snaps on the flowers so you can easily switch out flowers on the headbands and I'm contemplating putting some snaps on alligator clips too. It's a nice way to utilize some variety. This one N is wearing isn't my favorite, but you get the general idea.




Happy Fall!

"A work of art is a confession"

So #1 drew my potrait today and I thought it was good enough to share. He got my hair, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Apparently I'm "talking" to him in this picture. After he finished drawing my face, he drew a little stick neck and then proceeded to draw my feet. Because of that I guess I don't have any bad body image issues after his rendering, although I have to wonder about the mysterious facial hair...

What a little monkey...

First Fall Fair

I'm starting to feel guilty that I'm so behind in my blogging. It's true that I don't have to record every minute detail of our lives, but you'd hope I would at least get around to the highlights. So, perhaps I'll attack it one bite at a time. This weekend I had high aspirations and no motivation. Then we saw our neighbors in a mass exodus out to a broom corn festival that I had heard about, but wasn't sure it was worth our time. Faced with the prospect of entertaining children at home, or going somewhere and being entertained, we decided to join the crowd. And we are so glad that we did. It was one of the best small town fairs I've been to. Tons of vendors, a cute, little parade, some fun rides for #1, and tons of delicious, unhealthy food. This little festival has landed on our "must attend" list. It may have been because this was so fun for #1- first fair, first parade, first roller coaster ride. However, I'm more inclined to think that the deep-fried Twinkie we consumed is the real reason we'll be returning next year.

Here's #1 on the dragon roller coaster. I was so impressed that he was willing to go BY HIMSELF! He's certainly becoming less cautious, although his expression the entire time was pretty hilarious. Steve called it stoic, which is a pretty good description. He wanted to go again after getting off, so I'll take that as a good sign.


He also liked this vehicle merry-go-round. It was the one that he chose to go on twice.


Baby N mostly just took it all in. There were several times where she got upset that she couldn't enjoy all the good food that was being consumed. This was especially apparent in our side by side double stroller when #1 was enjoying an ice cream cone. Several times she swiped at him- I wish I'd gotten a picture. Poor girl had to be satisfied with a banana.



What a cool kid.


I need to remember to take a picture next year and see how much he's grown. Baby N might be eligible too considering how much she's growing these days.


Start the parade already!






If you ever were sad you missed being at Obama's inaugural parade, just keep in mind that these guys were there. Maybe that'll help ease the pain.



N, you are so beautiful!



The reason for the season...or is it?

I'm more inclined to think this might be.





Random Tidbits

Here's a little video of #1's actions for Head and Shoulders. It's pretty impressive.


Occasionally I'm feeling like a good mom and I pull out the fingerpaints. #1 had some pretty cool pictures this last time and I thought I'd share.



And I know I've mentioned it before, but here is #1 on his bike Grandma got him. He's getting to be pretty good on it.


This is a great sampling of baby N's trademark noises. There's the low growling, loud screeching and happy hyperventilating.


A Bare Bum


My favorite time of day.


Two little monkeys



It ain't easy being green

Bragging Rights

Mr. S doesn't take center stage on this blog very often. All too often I'm consumed with telling stories about the kids or myself and I don't talk too much about what's going on with him. Well, I decided that the following deserves a spotlight. I am so proud of my amazing husband. Smart, funny, a terrific partner and father- I am so blessed. Way to go honey!

The following is an email S received in regards to his qualification exams:

S,

I have to add my congratulations to Kiel's and your other readers, getting all excellent grades on both quals exams is pretty close to impossible. You're only the fourth student I've seen do that in the last 6 or 7 years. Mighty impressive!

I put your grade forms with comments in your mailbox, and by end of day tomorrow there will also be a letter from the department acknowledging your achievement.


Helen

Helen Katz
Office Support Specialist
for Admissions and Degree Completion
Educational Psychology