Magic Number Revealed

Yep, the amount of debt we have so far. Ha!

Reflections of Christ

This is an amazing and beautiful display of art. Please check out the slide show here.

(you'll have to scroll up) It only takes a few minutes. It is moving and set to one of my favorite songs.

www.mormon.org

www.lds.org

Magic Number

146693.93

Any Guesses? I just laughed! :)

Show Me the Money

Jake, bless him, wanted to go to Chik-fil-a today and play. We were close to it, so I consented. I told him very specifically that we were not going to buy or eat anything there, but he could play for 15 or 20 minutes. Of course, he was happy just to go. I know I sound like a cheapskate, and I am, pretty much. When you are on a tight budget, you just don't get in the habit of eating out, especially just because. 

Welp, we played and played. I had to threaten to leave Jake there to get him to come out of the playground. He came, screaming that he wanted some chicken nuggets! Some ice cream! Some lemonade! I finally got him in the car and here is our conversation (roughly):

Me: Jake, we can't just eat Chik-fil-a any time we want to. We just don't have the money for it all the time.

Jake: We can get the money at home.

Me: No, we don't have money at home, either. 

Jake: Where did the money go? When can we get some money?

Me: Well, we can get some money when dad is out of school. Then he can work and get us some money. 

Jake: Oh... Can I still have some lemonade at home?

So, any of you who have conversed with Jake know that this is really how he talks. Poor kid! Literally! Ha! :) 

Initiation into Motherhood

So Jake was sick yesterday. He had a high fever that didn't really go down, despite the ibuprofen. I was packing food up for Disneyland (I didn't realize he was sick then) and he kept calling me in to lay by him, sit with him, etc. One of those times he said, "Mom, thanks for giving me attention!" Oh, the guilt! He was sincere, but I kept leaving him and NOT giving him attention! 

He asked me to put him to bed. It wasn't even noon yet. So I did. About 5 minutes later, he was out. He slept for a good hour or so, then woke up extremely cuddly, especially with Scott. We should've known something was wrong! We left for Disneyland and after a long time in the car he started saying he was sick. We exited onto Ball Rd. and he threw up all over himself. Sad!!! It was making me feel really sick... you know the smell. I had to help clean him up and change his clothes (always be prepared when you go to Disneyland!). The whole time I was thinking, "Don't throw up. Breathe. You're ok. YOU are the mother. You HAVE to do this!" So I did. Now I feel like a real mom. And Jacqui, Scott said we must be real parents now, because this is something that would happen to Jacqui and Jeff! Ha! 

We ended up going to Disneyland, since Jake said he was feeling better and really wanted to go, but he was dragging a lot. After a bit we decided we should just go home, but by then there was rush hour traffic so we stuck it out. We took it easy, watching the Darth Vador/Darth Maul (sp?) show, Tiki room, buzz lightyear ride, and even PIRATES! Jake refused to go on Pirates before yesterday, but somehow he decided he wanted to go. It was fun. Anyway, we chilled and hung out there. On the way home we pulled over on the side of Ball Rd. again and Jake threw up. Poor thing. So we are laying low today, and his fever is almost gone. There is an update. The end. 

Over the weekend, we had Jenni and her friends come visit. It was a really fun visit! We had a great time hanging out, playing card games, eating (of course!), and sleeping (which they were miraculously able to do even after the kids were up in the morning!). Thanks to Jen for the adorable swimsuits my kids are sporting!

Trying to get Alisa to sleep--not so fun when there's so much to see!

My first official "girlie" act with Alisa, if you don't count the bows and flower head bands on Sundays. Cute toes!

Jake was in HEAVEN! We were at the beach for 4 hours, and he ran in and out of the water for 3 1/2, then Scott took him to the slide/playground area where he spent the rest of the time! It was quite a change from last year, when he was too scared to get close to the water!

Out of order, but can we just say that Jake is in boy heaven with his new birthday bike? Thanks, Grandma Seaman! It is music to my ears not to hear a movie request 24/7! He does still request movies, but it is much less frequent. I don't really know why... most of the time I say no to the movie. Anyway, the bike gets him outside! Our favorite ride is around the block to the park, where Jake can now swing on the big boy swing (I'd say swings, but it's a bit ghetto and the other ones are broken!), play and splash in the spastic water fountain (it shoots up about 12 feet in the air), and slide on the little slides there. We make the trip frequently. He loves it!

More beach... by the pier in Oceanside.

Alisa LOVED the water! It was cold, but she thought it was great! Another adventure!

Happy Family! We need a tan, but hey! I'm not complaining about our 80-100 degree weather here. We're not missing the snow, that's for sure!!!

Birthday Boy --2nd Post

Here are a couple more blasts from the past. What a cutie!

So, Jake woke up to presents on his birthday. It was fun to start the day out with presents so he could enjoy them all day. He sang a birthday song to himself (posted below). He LOVED the swords and playdough from Grammy and Papa Crane. At night, we were watching our friends' kids and had another friend of Jake's over to help us eat his monstrous cake. I was too lazy to plan a big party, although he would've liked it. The way it worked out was just perfect for him. Special, no effort on my part (besides making the cake), and not overwhelming. 

Jake, Hallie, and Abby livin' it up. Did any of them finish their cake? Nope, but they were happy!

The skateboard cake. It was a lot bigger than I pictured it, so I had to make it on a rubbermade container lid. Nice.

Playing after cake. 

Jake's birthday song. And yes, we threw in the carseat as a present...beefed it up a bit, right?

Happy Birthday, Jakey-boy!

I know every parent feels this way, but what a cutie! Jake turned 3 last Wednesday. What a big boy! We were so happy to see him after 30 hours of labor and a c-section! Poor thing was lodged in there! He was covered with hair (literally, wolf-man ears and hairy forehead, back, legs...he even has a mustache!) He was and is so precious! He has grown up so fast! I posted early pics first, so I will continue the birthday report on a new post! What a sweet babe!

Deceptively Delicious?

Here's Jakey-boy at about 6 months. He looks older. It's the hair.

Jake would not eat his stir fry tonight, although I must say it was a pretty good sauce from scratch (credit due to Scott--he gets creative in the kitchen). So, inspired by Jessica Seinfield's cookbook, I spread some mixed veggie puree on Jake's cheese crisp (quesadilla, if you don't know what a cheese crisp is). I tasted it, and thought it tasted normal. Fine. Nothing fishy about it. Scott tasted it. He had to turn his face away from Jake because he almost gagged. I really didn't think it was bad. Jake tasted it. "Hey! What did you put in there?" were the first words out of his mouth. I was cracking up as I responded "Cheese! It's just melted cheese! Here, have some ketchup with it." Jake LOVES ketchup, usually. He dipped and tried another bite, then promptly spit it out. "I don't like the melted cheese! I don't like melted cheese! It's yucky!" Welp, by that time Scott and I had lost it. We were cracking up and I finally spilled the beans. Needless to say, we had to toss the low-carb tortilla with smuggled veggie puree and start over again. So much for deceiving the little guy! 

Weird.

Here we are watching the new Disney Pixar parade at California Adventure. It was awesome! It has McQueen and Mater, Incredibles, Ratatouille, Nemo and Crush, Monsters, Inc. ... Jake was in heaven. We also love getting a free tortilla from the tortilla factory there. Yeah, I know. Here's Jake enjoying his tortilla...

Jake: Help mom! I am trying to get the whole box of Craisins but I can't because I don't have a big, tall,... a big, tall, ladder to reach them!

Jake's nakey again (shocker!). He came running in saying, "Guess what I have in my bum!" He pretends to pull something out and says, "It's a screw!" Why do you have a screw in your bum? He pretends to hand it to me so I pretend to put it on the desk. He picks it up and pretends to eat it. Weird. Are all boys so weird? Maybe it's just kids. He didn't really have anything in his bum, don't worry. And I don't think anything was actually connected there. He was just using his imagination.

Who went pee-pee on the wall? and more

We had a humidifier for Alisa running all night. There was condensation on the walls. Jake woke up and the first thing he said was, "Someone went pee-pee on the wall. Maybe it was Hallie!"

Tonight we "read" Matt. 4:18-22 for family scriptures (we read them from the gospel art pictures) where Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." We were talking about how Jesus wants us to follow him, when Jake, in true Jakey style, said, "I don't want to follow Jesus." I tried not to laugh, and explained that we can follow Jesus by being nice, sharing, listening to mom and dad, etc. Right in the middle of my explanation, he says, "I don't want to follow Jesus because... because my foot hurts!" 

Speaking of... he is really into I don't want to _______ (fill in the blank). I don't want to pray. I don't want to get baptized. I don't want to follow Jesus. What ever happened to I don't want to make mom mad? I don't want to hurt Alisa? Take toys away? Disobey? Yeah, too bad those aren't on his list of don't want to's. 

Our little grown-up

Jake, you're all done? You don't want the rest of your yogurt?

No! (yelled roughly as he runs away from the table)

Jake, don't talk that way to mom. 

Oh, sorry. (then very sweetly) What did I say in the first place? (pause) Be I excused?

Yes, Jake... 

Is he a little adult or what?!

Grand Canyon and Beyond!!!

These pictures are in reverse order... you'd think I'd learn by now! Load the last ones first!

We met up with our friends, the Garricks, while in Flagstaff and went to the Grand Canyon. It was a lot of fun. The kids were funny--I couldn't tell if they liked the grand canyon or the snowballs more! Jake pegged Bonnie right in the eye! Sorry, Bonnie! We just walked along the rim. It must have been about 2 1/2 miles or so by the time we were done. Jake walked at least a mile, and was totally exhausted. He fell asleep in the backpack and didn't wake up even when Scott put him down. Poor kid! 

Alisa is already a rule-follower...bless her! Hold on tight!

Seamans and Garricks

Jake LOVES dogs. In the morning, he'd ask to sleep by "Abby the dog" (formerly Abby but since Abby the girl is his friend, too...) and pull her other bed in by her. Jake and Alisa were in heaven playing with her. Alisa started saying "dah" for dog. Cute!

More Grand Canyon

Easter

It was beautiful spring weather in Flag. Mom on double duty, with Alisa and cousin Corban.

Dad with Alisa

Mom, Amanda (sorry, Manda) and Jake.

Alisa loved this little ride-on toy!

We had a fun Easter, despite half the family getting sick! Seriously, maybe it wasn't that great for those who got sick. I'm just glad that I somehow avoided it. It was great to be with most of my family (we missed you, Li! and Shmell, although of course you couldn't come, Chilena!).

Here's Jake with his trusty "Light Saber" that he HAD to sleep with and hold 24/7.

I showed Jake this picture, and he said the following: 

It's the princess!

She looks like Olivia.

That's MY LIGHTSABER!!! AH!!! I just do it and ah, uh, (more boy noises pretending to fight).

My whole family minus two sisters...Which ones are my bros/sisters???

Jake got really excited about his upcoming birthday, so my mom made him a cake. I'm pretty sure it was just an excuse to make this heavenly Earthquake Cake. Thanks, mom. YUMMY!

We're Ba-ack -- Buffalo Park

Here we are in Flagstaff over Spring Break. We went "hiking" in Buffalo Park (named for all the buffalo that used to run around here). We had a great time with my sister and her kids. Thanks, mom, for staying home with the babe.

Trying to get all the kids to cooperate...ha! Nice statue.

Scott and Alisa in the pack with the San Francisco Peaks in the background.

Throwing rocks in a pond. There aren't usually ponds, but it was a wet winter.

Jake with his cousins.

On the new bridge

I have to write this down...
Jake went potty and rushed off without undies, of course. "Jake, your undies! Jake, come back! Your undies!" Jake's very serious response: "Oh! I am very sorry, but... (big pause and sigh) I can't put them on." Nakey on a sophisticated level.