Happy Halloween

We had a fun Halloween. We went around the neighborhood with Hailey in her stroller, while Preston slept at home with my parents up stairs (love having upstairs neighbors). We only hit about 8 houses but got a ton of candy from all the neighbors. We then drove to some of the family and had a great time. Hailey was Goldylocks and we were the 3 bears. Papa, Mama and Baby bear. I love the excitement of it all! With kids I get to live my childhood over again but it is way more fun! This is the fun part of parenting.

Library Story-time

Today we ventured out to the library for storytime. There were a ton of kids all dressed up. Hailey was Goldylocks and Preston just wore his Halloween shirt. His baby bear costume is too warm. (and here I thought it was going to be cold for Halloween!) Hailey was really good to sit and listen to the story and then sing the little songs. They changed the words to well known songs to Halloween-ize them! We shook like skeletons, meowed cats to the tune of "If Your Happy and You Know It!" We then made treat bags with a ghost on the front and went on a parade to 5 different stations within the library to get treats. Hailey didn't quite get it until we started to get treats and then she really loved it. She is still not always good at listening and following directions and it is exhausting to chase her with Preston on the front in his sling. It is like being pregnant again but he is heavier and floppier. (at least I can take him off!)

It was also my MIL's birthday today so we went and got her flowers from the store and took them to her school. It should be a relatively short trip, but alone with 2 kids really complicates things as simple as picking up and delivering roses! We get to the store and Preston screamed on the short drive there, but in the 5 minutes it took us to get there he stopped screaming and fell asleep right as we pulled into the parking lot, but of course I can't keep Hailey quiet to keep him asleep! She screamed and woke him up. So the process begins; it is pull him out of the car, lugging the awkward car seat that just keeps getting heavier and harder to carry as he gets older. Then to Hailey's side, balancing the diaper bag, the baby and then keeping her from running away while I shut the mini-van door. Then I put them into a cart, Preston is getting longer and his feet got stuck under Hailey's seat, so it was repositioning to get him and her into the cart. (at this point there is no way groceries would fit, good thing we are only coming for fresh flowers on this trip) I knew right where they were at the front of the store, but on our tight budget I was trying to price compare and not be too cheap, but get her something nice for her 60th B-day. I find the roses are the best bargain for the money and let HM pick the color. She chose pink, a girl after my own heart. Then we reverse the whole thing to get the kids back in. As I am loading PT the cart starts taking off down the slightly sloped parking lot with HM still in it! I click PT in and then grab the cart. We get to WX High and in order to carry the vase in I have to put PT in the sling, the vase in the sling pocket and carry the roses in one hand and hold HM with the other free hand. As soon as we get in the enterance of the school she sees a Halloween display with lights and is immediately drawn to it. I drag her away from it and steer her in the direction of Paula's room. (luckily her class is close to the front and not up any stairs!) She was glad to see the kids and we chatted and then I left. Hailey realized that there were kitties all over the school. (their mascot is the wildcats, I am sure they would be offended with her calling them kitty!) She pointed them out and wanted to see and touch all of them. All the while trying to lead her in the direction of the car. I ended up haivng to pick her up and carry her and Preston to the car. That is like 50 pounds of kid between the 2 of them. I am thinking there are some birthday presents that are more trouble than they are worth, especially when the recieptent is unaware of the sacrifice a simple gesture is with 2 kids. Good thing birthdays are only once a year.

This is for you, Mia!

Hailey had some really good little friends when we lived in Cambria, but since all but one have moved away. She loves blogging, to see all her little friends and what they are up to. Mia's mommy is way creative and such a cute mom. She teaches Mia songs and then will post the short video of what Mia is up to. Hailey asks daily whenever she sees the computer on to "Watch Mia!" So we made a little video for Mia. (I practiced it with Hailey before we recorded and then she got sick of playing my little game so by the time I did record she was done. At the end she runs off because she heard that Preston had woken up and she was going to get him, she has better hearning than I do!)

Preston's 6 mo. pics

My, where has the time gone? My BABY boy is already 6 months old. He can now sit up on his own. He has discovered his toes and loves to eat his feet. He started on solids last month and loves to eat. In fact if you are eating something in front of him, he will cry! We will either give him a bite (if it is something he can eat, which most of the time it isn't) or we give him sweet potato puffs or his favorite, graham crackers! He gets so excited when we get everything out for him to eat, he starts breathing in quick short bursts and waves his arms, squealing with delight! We were out to dinner and a lady noticed this spectacle of his eager anticipation for rice cereal. She thought it was adorable and enjoyed seeing his excitement over cereal! He is very ticklish; his sides, tummy, neck, thighs--he is adorable to really get him belly laughing. I can't help but smile and it totally mades my day! He is a mommas boy, when he is unhappy, mommy can always make it better than anyone. I love that he does this, at times I just want my space, but he snuggles in and it melts my heart and I am wrapped around that tiny finger. He loves to go on walks in the stroller and it will put him right to sleep. He is the cutest boy in the world and I cannot imagine what life would be like without him! Here are the pictures from Target. (My grandma made him the colorful blanket.)

MOM's Club Halloween Party

We went to a Halloween party for the MOM's club. (Thanks to Stephanie P. for suggesting them!) I haven't finished Hailey's costume and so I just put the kids in costumes I had in the closet. Luckily Hailey's witch costume still fit from last year. Preston was dressed as a chick, he is always so happy and smiley.

They had games for the kids and a drawing as well as trick or treating. It was a blast! Hailey found a new little girlfriend and they giggled and chased each other around the gym. They had a cake walk type activity, with a Halloween twist where you stop on a picture when the music stops.She got the whole stopping and strating thing, but when she won, was so oblivious. She got a small container of play dough and is so excited to play with it, she wanted to open it as soon as she got it.

I invited a new friend from the ward, Shanda, and she was drawn to win the kiddy lap top, she already has one and she graciously gave it to me! I was so excited! It is already wrapped and hidden in the closet for Hailey's Christmas present. I am so happy to not have to spend more money on Christmas! I cannot wait for her to play with it, she is going to love it. And it will help her with her letters and numbers.

Here are a few pics from it. Preston slept in the sling for a lot of it and it was a nice outing to visit with other moms and have kids for Hailey to play with.

Catching up...I'm it! (so are Robin, Janelle, and Suzy)

I got tagged in 2 other peoples blogs, thanks Jessica and Emily! So I figured that I would just combine them, so here is pure randomness! Jessica's was to post the 4th picture from my 4th photo album...here is the pic. It is from our trip to the Living Planet Aquarium in Feb of 2008. (Looking at this makes me so glad I am not prego anymore!)

And Emily's was to write 6 random things about myself:

1- I love the game scattergories! I am serious about it. I love to win it and for days after we play I am randomly thinking up alliteration answers that I could have used to get double and triple word score.

2- I am addicted to blogging. It is my release. Since I sit in the la-Z-boy to nurse I am always checking my blog list and seeing who posted and reading my comments. It is easy to do with one hand and I love to see what everyone else is doing.

3- I love the color pink. It just makes me happy. I would paint my room pink if Dave would let me! (That'll be the day!)

4- My favorite smell is that clean dirt scent right as it starts to rain. For me it is the epitome of what pure nature smells like.

5- I like watching Oprah in the afternoon. (or anytime really since I have TiVo! I am also addicted to TiVo and try to rewind and fast-forward other "non-TiVo" things in real time. Like plays or musicals we go to, the radio, speakers at church, etc...I catch myself wishing life could be Tivo'd too!)

6-Peanut M&M's are by far my favorite treat. When I have them in the house they call my name from the kitchen cupboard! (I try not to keep them around, I just want to eat them!)

I would like to tag my SIL Robin (I am hoping for a pic on her blog...or just some randomness), Janelle (I want to hear about you!), and Suzy (you are preggers and I want to hear some of your thoughts). Do whatever tag you want, I would like both so I have more to read/look at!!

Sublimation

We got premium steak from Omaha delivered to our door and it came in a little cooler packed in dry ice. We made it a little science lesson (thanks to my mom, the science teacher). We put it is water and Hailey had a great time learning that it wasn't smoke, it didn't hurt to touch and we even taught her to say the chemical process; "sublimation." (It is fun to hear her saying this!) I am realizing it is these little random daily happenings that she is learning from, I need to take time to look for these opportunities to teach her!

Packs Pumpkin Patch

My SIL, Heather Pack Brown, has a family pumpkin path down in Farmington. We go every year since she has been a member of the family. It keeps getting more publicity, so it gets busier every year, but it is so quaint and as Dave says: "This is so much better than picking out your pumpkin from a bin in front of Dicks Market!" They have a huge field and pumpkins strewn all over, you just walk around with your little wagon and pick the one you want. They also have activities for the kids to do; a maze, photo op spots and it is such a festive fall atmosphere. Hailey was very picky about her pumpkin, she would meander through the vast field with someone in tow and when they would point out a pumpkin to her she would look at it and say: "It's dirty!" and she didn't even want to touch it! We ended up picking out one for her, but if she won't even touch the outside what will she say about all the guts and seeds inside??





After we finished at the Patch we went to Ryan and Heather's for dinner. As we were eating I thought how grateful I am that I live so close to family. Hailey loves to go over to her Aunt and Uncles house and play and feed their fish. She goes up and down the stairs, in and out of rooms, ohhs over their bath tub that looks more like a mini-swimming pool! I love that as my siblings and I are getting older, we seem to have more in common. No more bickering over who gets to sit in the front seat of the car when we go somewhere or who got the heartier serving of dessert! I so enjoy sitting around the table and talking to my family. Although; it is a bit stressful trying to feed 2 kids dinner (Preston now does cereal twice a day) and eat and have a dinner conversation, but luckily there are plenty of hands around to help. I really hope that once Dave gets his MBA we can move into a home in Davis County. I love that my kids are growing up around extended family; they know who they are and my aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents love having kids around again. The old adage is true "Blood is thicker than water" Family is always there when you need them. It is nice to have someone else to rely on that I know loves my kids almost as much as I do!

No children were harmed in the filming of this

My brothers were both over for a family dinner last night and had a bit of fun with using Hailey as a ball to pass her back and forth. She laughed and loved it. "More, More!" She kept saying long after they had finished. It is wonderful to have them over. Erick just got a job managing a branch of a regional trucking company in Colorado. We don't get to see him as much any more. :( He came today and took Hailey out to McDonalds (I know it is against my better mothering judgement to allow her to go on the Sabbath, but I thought I could make the exception since I had to chauffer my grandparents to a wedding luncheon on Saturday and that is when he wanted to do it.) She of course got spoiled. He took her during her nap time and wanted to keep her longer, so he went and got her a blanket (a Dora sleeping bag) and princess sippy cup and new pacifers. And while she was shopping she saw Nemo fruit snacks and so she got those too! Needless to say with all of this, she still didn't take a nap today, there is too much to see when she is with Uncle E!

We are loving being Nursery Leaders. I know, I know we had our doubts! But I have found reasons to enjoy it even more. I love being with Dave all of church and getting to see him interact with the kids. He really is so good to them, they flock to him and it gives me that warm loving feeling. Reminding me of how wonderful of a dad he is to our children. I like to see how Hailey interacts witht the kids and see what she does in a social situation. We just got 3 new kids who moved in. Increasing our nursery class by almost 50%! So this is where you, the reader, come in. I really want to make it fun for the kids and in turn more fun for us, so I am asking for advice on things you have seen done, or what you did. Right now it is just play, lesson and snack. We have added more singing time, but would love ideas of songs with props or something....please leave me ideas in the comments or email me. Thanks!

Park City Vacation

We went on the scary Heber Creeper and it really was scary. Hailey started to tell the scary people who were walking the isles: "Boo, go away!Go Fast!" It was empowering for her.

We spent the week on a little vacation with the Jamison Family. We stayed in a luxury condo in Park City. It was wonderful, there is no way Dave and I could have afforded to stay there. We were blessed to stay in the master suite complete with a gas fireplace, king size bed and jetted Jacuzzi tub. We enjoyed watching TV in bed and having so much space in the bed so Preston could sleep with us halfway through the night. It was wonderful to go at our own pace and just hang out as a family. Dave had the whole week off from the U and didn’t even take any homework. We enjoyed the cool, crisp fall weather and the ambiance of Park City. We were on the fourth floor and took the elevator to get there. Hailey loved it and called in "The alligator!" She got out while I was taking care of Preston and the other 5 adults were talking. She sneaked out quietly and was looking for the alligator, luckily she didn't push the button and go down. (at 36 inches tall she can reach the down button.) She came back and told us that she wanted to go to the alligator. The funny things they catch onto! I got some new clothes! My adorable sister in law and I both crushed on the same shirt and bought it (the pink and green one that I wore in the pics). I feel even more of a fashionista since she got the same one too! The pictures should tell the rest. Thanks to the Jamison’s for all the fun times and good memories!

Namaste

For GNO (girls night out) my mom, and 2 cousins, Kaylee and Jaycee and I went to Ace Hardware. I know, you may say, random, but it was so fun! They had different vendors there from flower decorating (they had David, he is the one that does the huge, gorgeous arrangements you see on the screen in front of the speakers at General Conference.) Yoga instructor, cooking classes, and the best is raffel door prizes! We all won something and I got a gift certificate for 3 free yoga classes. I went for the first time last night. It was crazy just to get out of the house; nurse the baby, trying to clean up dinner, change my outfit, but my wonderful hubby is so good to help me get out the door. The class was an hour long. We got into a lot of poses that I didn't think my body could do, but I was proud that I have still got it! And at the end we laid down on our backs, and let go of anything we didn't need to hold onto any more and were told to just breathe while listening to quite piano music! The instructor told us to just relax and enjoy the silence.As I was lying there I was tring to remember the last time I enjoyed silence that I wasn't tainted by waiting for a child to wake up screaming! It was so rejuvinating to have an intense work out and then relax, taking a minute for myself! By the end, I was mising the kids, and wanting to hear their delightful laughs and squeals! I had an epipifany am realizing more that when I take time for myself, I am better all around. (I have heard this, but I guess that I have to learn things by doing!)I have more patience for my children, more love for my family and I just feel so much better!
I love when you have a hard work out and then the next day feel that dull, aching burn in your muscles. As I felt that throughout the day today I smiled to myself, knowing that I did something for myself and it was gooood!
So Namaste, as I learned in my Yoga class; I am grateful and acknowledge the divine light in you.

Prester's Room

Dave told me today that I am the "Queen of Blogging". (I'd like to be known as the Queen of many other things, but at least I am the Queen of something.) I find myself sitting here at nights, nursing the baby and reading everyone elses blogs, loving the break of being able to catch glimpses into my loved ones lives. So for my sake, please keep blogging, I love to read it!

Here are the pics of Preston's new curtains, it just makes me happy to walk into his room, and see that splash of color that his room was in desperate need of. And to know that I made it! I love it! It is nice to be able to show what I did with my day. (I guess that I should start taking pics of my clean house and post those to show what I have done with my day, but it is a fleeting memory by the time everyone gets up in the morning!) Also, I am sure that you will notice in the pic, there is a red slinky hanging from the heating vent in the ceiling. Hailey was given the slinky and loved playing with it.One night as Papa was getting her ready for bed, he just stuck it up there for her. It has been like a stroke of genuis, it entertains both of the kids while they are getting changed! It is mesmerizing, they just lay there and stare at it.So if any of you are in need of a distraction while changing, hang a slinky!

Crusin' around in my automobile

We are loving the good weather and taking advantage of it. We went outside the other day and played on Hailey's powerwheel. She just likes to play the radio and talk on the phone, she is understanding that you have to push the pedal to go, but doesn't steer very well. We ran over the neighbors flowers and my back was a bit sore trying to bend over and steer for her, but she loved it. (as you can see from the pics she is all smiles.)
I have also been driving my Grandma lots of places lately(the mall, fabric shops, gas station, etc) and really loving it. I told Dave there are times that I feel that I spend more time with her than anyone else, but it is so nice to live close to family again. Today I taught her how to pump gas, she asked me the other day about learning how to do it, she is a true lady and has never had to do it for herself her entire life! SHe didn't learn to drive until she was 20, her family didn't need a car and so they just didn't own one. It cost 15 cents to do public transit and they lived in the Avenues and public transportation was readily available. Today we also got fabric and I made curtains for Preston's room. It is fulfilling to get something accomplished in one day. (I will post pics later.) In the mean time I am loving my grandparents, they are so much fun to be with and are so good to my kids, they love them. Today my Grandpa was putting a small stuffed animal on top on a wind-up ferris wheel and then letting it fall off on its head, Hailey thought it was hilarious, even though it breaks my heart that he is starting to lose his memory, he is still a kid at heart!