Thanksgiving Pie Feast

On Tuesday, I was able to help out in C's 2nd Grade Class with their Thanksgiving Pie Feast. I basically helped cut and serve pie to C and his classmates. The boys had made pilgrim hats and the girls made pilgrim collars. The teachers laid out a long piece of red paper in the hallway for a "table" for all the 2nd graders to sit at. They sang Thanksgiving songs and ate pie.

Here is C's class. He's in the middle wearing the red long-sleeved shirt and the cool pilgrim hat.

Thanksgiving Pie Feast

After their pie feast, his teacher turned on a Thanksgiving Cartoon for them to watch before they went home. It gave us parents and teachers a chance to clean-up. MK pulled out a chair to sit next to her big brother.

C & MK

S came along with me as well. One of his Kindergarten friends was there with his mom, so they sat at a table in the back to play with each other.

T and S

It was a fun afternoon and I was glad I was able to go help out. Because of my weird work schedule and the abundance of helpers, I haven't had a lot of opportunities to help inside the classroom. C was very glad to have me there and show off his little sisters to his friends. I should take advantage of this while I can before he realizes he should be embarrassed by me.

Hello Gorgeous!

R and the kids play "Cut the Rope" on the iPad all the time. It's funny. A cookie is on a rope that you have to feed to a monster after collecting stars. Well, R had gotten pretty far on the game but then MK came along and erased it, so they've had to start all over again. The other night, R and the boys were playing, and R was having a difficult time with one level. He finally got it and C said "Hello Gorgeous!" S then said, "That's when a girl's lovin' you."

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical

 

I don't know if you are familiar with the book Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, but it's hilarious. (He also wrote Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.) C & S brought this book home from their Preschool library on a regular basis. Well, apparently the book has been made into a musical. Who knew? I sure didn't. Not until R received an email from a local Arts Center with show times. Last night, I braved the storm and took C & S to see it. It was pretty funny, and the boys loved it.

Here are C & S waiting for the play to start. Like the VERY big smiles? They were excited. We sat up on the balcony, which they said was "so cool."

C and S before the show

The play was only an hour long, which was perfect for the kids. It was very well done and very fun. I was impressed by the solo Trixi sang when she realizes that Knuffle Bunny is missing. The entire song is gibberish. I can't imagine trying to remember a song like that. The puppeteers brought out a life sized Knuffle Bunny that she danced with. It was hilarious.

After the play, they had a cupcake dessert. S was loving his cupcake. Can you tell?

S enjoying his cupcake

C enjoyed his cupcake as well. He's just being silly. Not surprising.

C enjoying this cupcake

We had a great time. I was really impressed by the staff working at the venue as well. They made a point to greet each child and talk to them like grown-ups. I heard them call the children "gentlemen" and "ladies." They made a point to make the evening an event to remember for each child.

After the show, we had to pick up the next 2 books in the "Knuffle Bunny" Series and a stuffed "Knuffle Bunny" for each boy.

S and C cuddling the Knuffle Bunny

I'm so glad I got to go with them to the Play. Usually, R takes the boys out on big things since he doesn't always get to spend so much time with them. But, R wanted to have a "Daddy-Daughter Date" with MK and let me have a special night with the boys.

Halloween

I know this is late in the making, but the only pictures I got of the kids in their Halloween costumes were on my phone, and I was having trouble getting them off. It turned out to be some data problem that R had to call our service provider about and they fixed it right away. So, now I'm able to get to those photos. Now that I'm looking at this funny picture, I can see that they are all squinting in the sunlight. But it was like nailing down a shadow trying to get these three kids to stand still long enough to get a picture, so I'll just be glad with what I have.

Superman, Bumblebee, Pizza

S is Superman. He will even flex his muscles for you. MK was a bumblebee. She loved to show off her stinger. She'd push her bum out and point to the stinger there. C was a slice of pizza. He said his classmates chased him around the playground wanting to eat him. They all loved their costumes and practiced a lot during the month in preparation for the big day, which was a marathon of sorts. C & S celebrated Halloween at school on Thursday, Oct 28th since they had no school on the 29th. Then, on Friday I took the kids by my work briefly to show them off before heading to the big bash at R's work. That was a party! Each department transformed their work areas into fun....I don't know what to call it....places to tour. There was a traditional haunted "house", Shrek, a winter wonderland complete with slide (That was R's team), disco, mario kart, Sesame Street, Nintendo, etc. It was crazy. We all had so much fun. We took the kids trick-or-treating on Saturday (living in a religious area, everyone celebrates on Saturday instead of Sunday.) Sunday, we went to visit Boppi for his birthday.

I love this picture of MK. It was taken at R's work party while we were waiting to enter one of the buildings.

MK the Bumblebee

I've always loved Halloween. It's fun to dress up and play. As a kid, I loved the candy and spending time with my dad as he took us trick-or-treating on his birthday.

What Life Is All About

Two nights ago as we were all sitting down to dinner, S starting to complain that he didn't get to play the iPad. (Which wasn't true at all.) I was annoyed at his whining and said to him, "S, there is more to life than just playing the iPad." He grumbled a bit and sighed. Then, S responded by saying, "yeah, it's called the wii."

Hawaii

Can you believe it? We are in Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary! For once, we are doing something for our anniversary that doesn't involve having a baby or movie and a dinner. We wanted to celebrate 10 years in style......and we are.

We've left the kids with Grammy and Grandpa. They have been so excited to go visit them. Grammy has telling them all the fun things she has planned for them including a birthday party with presents, swimming at the swimming hole, rides on 4-wheelers, playing the wii, and much more.

R and I arrived in Hawaii this afternoon and spent the evening walking along Waikiki beach. Tomorrow, we will go to the Hawaii Temple in the morning and a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center in the evening. We'll do a whole Island Tour on Sunday and snorkeling on Monday. Tuesday, we will head to Kauai for more adventures.

This is the first time we've left the kids for so long. They've had sleep overs at grandparents before, but never for this long. It'll be interesting to see how it all goes.

Happy Birthday MK!

Happy 2nd Birthday MK!

And we wind down Birthday week by celebrating MK's 2nd birthday. I know. I can't believe our little girl is 2. Time flies when you are a cute little girl. MK is practicing how to say "two" but it sounds more like "choo." She's also practicing holding up 2 fingers. She has tried to show her 2 fingers to her Aunt, Grandma, and Boppi who have already called her this morning.

MK is such fun to have around. We love having her part of our family. She wants to do everything her big brothers do, and she tries just about it all. Lately, she kicks a leg out and says "Yee-ahh" in her attempt at karate. Even still, she is such a girl, which still is new to us after 2 boys. She loves to get dressed, wear mom's shoes or her dress-up shoes, have her hair done, and carry her sequined Cinderella purse. She wants to help, always trying to help clean up. She loves to play and laugh. Everyday, she brings me her sandals and says "Shoos. Side." because she wants to play outside. Lately, she does fake sneezes. She's a hoot.

Happy Birthday S!

Happy 5th Birthday S!

Today, S turned 5 years-old. He's been so excited for this day. He's been telling people that his birthday is "the day after church day." I had to work today, so he spent the morning with the sitter, which he thought was cool because he played with his friends. Then, he played with the neighborhood kids. A neighbor has a bounce house/slip-n-slide up at their house for the week so you know where S and C were today.

S got to talk to his cousins, aunts, and grandparents on the phone today. Every time the phone has rung (which has been a lot) he has bounded over to the phone so he can talk. The first person to call today was my dad. S didn't bother to say hi. He just bluntly asked "are you going to sing to me?"

We are so lucky to have S in our family. He is such a character. He keeps us laughing with all his silliness and crazy ideas. He is a very loving brother. He loves to help and loves to make others laugh. He is very creative. He loves to play outside, to ride his scooter, to play the wii, and to play with puzzles. He has a great ability to think through puzzles and piece them together.

Happy Birthday C!

Happy 7th Birthday C!

C turned 7 on July 31st. C has been so excited for his birthday for months now. He's very happy to tell EVERYONE he sees that he is now 7 years-old.

We started the day off with pancake breakfast with a candle in the pancake, of course. He opened presents, played with friends, and ended the day by going to a restaurant for dinner. We waited until Sunday to do his birthday cake since we got home late and C got a free dessert from the restaurant. We are having a combined birthday party for both boys on Wednesday.

C is busy finding out what his new 7 year-old super powers are. So far, he has discovered that he is taller (he demonstrated this to me by showing me how he can barely lay down on the couch now) and he is faster (he will run across the lawn to show you his increased speed.)

As we discover what other 7 year-old super powers he has, we will update you accordingly.

C is a big part of our family and we all love him so much. He is an amazing big brother who cares for and watches out for his brother and sister. He is a great helper around the house and with his siblings. He loves art and makes fun projects. He has great handwriting and does well at math. He loves to play soccer and baseball. And he is a good friend, wanting to include everyone.

Second Hernia During a Summer Storm

A couple months ago, R had to have hernia surgery--his second one just a short 13 months after the first. I had originally worked it out for the kids to go to our sitter for the day, but the night before the surgery we were informed by the hospital that we had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Yikes! So, I called my parents and asked if the kids could have a sleepover at grandma and boppi's house. They said yes, so I quickly packed the kids an over night bag and hurried them over...and I do mean quickly. I had them packed and strapped into the car in under 10 minutes. That included potty breaks, too. Sometimes, I amaze myself.

And other times I don't.

It was mid-June. It was summer weather. I packed shorts, t-shirts, sandals, swimsuits, and underwear, of course. What I didn't count on was a summer storm to come. I didn't send with them any socks nor sweaters nor anything like that. But, my parents are of the resourceful kind. We used to watch a lot of "MacGyver" when I was younger. Here are some great pictures my parents emailed me while I was at the hospital with R.

First up is MK in the morning. She is a happy girl with her milk and banana. Look at her feet......those are my dad's socks on her feet and legs. They look like leg warmers, don't they?

MK

Next up are all three kids. C and S seem very happy with their sweaters. C is rocking some socks from Boppi. MK doesn't seem so sure. Can you even see her underneath all that?

C, MK, S 

And just because the situation was so funny, Boppi posed with the grandkids. I can hear the laughing. And yeah, MK's expression is pretty funny.

Staying warm

The kids ended up spending 2 nights with my parents. THANK YOU! It was so nice to not to have to worry about them while I tended to R.

As for R, his surgery went very well. He is now a bionic man....okay, not really. But they did a great job in patching him up. He had to spend one night in the hospital. His recovery was shorter than the first surgery. I was looking forward to his loopy state of mind while he came down from the anesthesia, but it didn't happen. He actually remembered things this time! No repeat conversations. No repeat questions. I was looking forward to the funny stories I could tell about him coming out of it, but sorry. I can't. Drat.

I am my Mother's Daughter

It is official. I have become just like my mother. I was always warned that this day would come, I just didn't expect it at 33 years of age. Today, instead of taking a nap during our mandatory Sunday Quite Time (again, thank you, mother) I worked on my quilt. I sat at a sewing machine quilting while I watched "McClintock!" And for good measure, I told my boys "the kitchen's closed!" when they wanted more food an hour after dinner was over.

Job Offer

R has received and accepted a job offer. Hurray!

Beating them off with a stick

Conversation overheard by C

MK: *climbs onto bed to cuddle with her dad and give him kisses*

Dad: Thank you for the kisses. You have such beautiful blue eyes. You are so cute. I don't know what I'm gonna do when you are older, I'm gonna have to beat them off with a stick.

Mom: I recommend your baseball bat.

Next day at church walking in the hallway

C: Mom, is daddy really going to beat off MK's eyes with a stick?

Allergy Update

We took S into the Allergist to have a skin test done. R and I were a bit nervous taking him in....it took me plus hundreds of nurses (ok, not hundreds, but it felt like it) to hold him down to draw blood, we weren't sure how he'd handle being poked for a skin test. S surprised us and did excellent. He wasn't happy about it, but he was so brave and did so well. The good news is that he can eat wheat, eggs, fish, cow milk, corn, and shell fish. He is still higly allergic to peanuts and soy. The Allergist said that many times blood test results are false positives. I'm so glad he's not allergic to all those things; I was very worried. I had visions of him eating only graham crackers and oatmeal for the rest of his life.

Next week: MK gets her skin test done.

Last night, I was talking to a long-time friend about the allergies. She said her dad had always been sick as a kid, going to multiple doctors and never figuring out what it was. He went away to college and felt better than ever. On his first car trip back home, someone in the car was a cat owner. That's when he started to feel sick again. He finally figured out what had caused him to be sick all his life--His parents owned several cats.

A laundry list of Allergies

So, back in December we received lots of treats and cookies from neighbors and friends. S ate a cookie with a BIG chocolate kiss on it not realizing it was a peanut butter cookie. I didn't think any of it either, even though he's never been a big fan of PBJ. Soon after he ate it, he started to wheeze while breathing. He also had red, puffy skin on his nose and under his eyes. Yikes.

I took him into the doctor to have him tested for peanut allergies. That was an experience. He fought so hard, I was worn out. It took me plus 3 nurses and the phlebotomist holding to get his blood drawn.

We just got the results back. Yes--S is allergic to peanuts just like MK. Joy. It doesn't stop there. They think that he is also allergic to cow milk, wheat, corn, soy beans, shell fish, and egg. WHAT? He eats ALL those things and has never seemed to have any problem. Our doctor is sending us to an allergist. Not looking forward to that.

Nursury Bound

Can you believe that MK will be 18 months this coming week? It doesn't seem possible, but it's true. We took her to Nursery at Church today: She did great! I got tired of wrestling with her during Sacrament Meeting. She has made friends in our other meetings, especially an older couple that she's taken a shining to. It was so cute because the husband started bringing small toys to church just for her. MK used to walk and walk and walk around the room stopping by people she's made friends with.

MK wasn't too sure about Nursery at first, but she warmed up and soon was giggling and playing with all the toys and other kids. I left her to toys, friends, snacks, and puzzles to go to my meetings sans kids. It was nice to go to my meetings without chasing kids and being able to focus on the teacher/speaker.

MK had fun at Nursery and Mom and Dad had fun with her there.

Temple Views

A new temple has been announced within sight of our home. The new temple site is within 5 miles. We have a great uninterupted view of the valley and will be able to see the construction as it progresses. It'll be interesting to watch. I told R that he needs to put his newly found photography skills to work and do a photo project of its construction. I thought it would be interesting for him to take a photo each week as it progresses from empty field to finished building. He thought that was a great idea (well, it was from me =) so I'm not really surprised) and wants to do it.

R.I.P. Furnace

Our furnace passed away last night. It became sick (again) over the weekend (of course) and died a slow and painfully cold death. The heating technician pulled the plug last night at 8:08 p.m. to put it out it's misery and us in the cold. The furnace is survived by 3 space heaters and 5 chilly people. After a period of mourning and reflection, the vacancy created by its untimely death was filled by a new furnace. This succession was unanimously approved by the survivors. The new furnace is happy to have found a new home and fill the home with love and warmth.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Last night we drove up to Salt Lake City to take the kids to Temple Square and see all the lights and nativities throughout the grounds. It was cold, so we had to bundle up. We had such a fun time walking throughout the grounds and looking at all the colored lights, cool nativities, reflection ponds, and tabernacle. Later, we stopped in the visitors center to warm up and watched Luke II.
C & S kept testing their "sliding" skills in all the snow. We had to keep S away from all the water--he kept trying to get up close and personal with the reflection pond and water fountains.

When we left for home, I asked the kids what their favorite part was.
C: The orange and red lights in the trees.
S: The movie and the Christus.
MK: Probably being pushed around in the stroller in cozy comfort.