A Little Peek...

... at life in our little town. We're having fun. Two weeks ago, it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Today, it's SNOWY! It's been a lovely turn into winter. The kids are thrilled, and we are getting good use out of our fireplace! Here are some things we've been up to.

We got a package from Grandma Seaman. Thank you! You are always so thoughtful and our kids will now be warm in their new p.j.'s. Don't mind Alisa's partial nudity. She is IN LOVE with her beautiful princess skirt. She wears it everywhere (over her pants). Perfect!

These are by far his favorite. I love the webbing. He really, really wants to be able to stick to walls like the real Spiderman.

We took a trip to Show Low Lake on the warm day two weeks ago. We tried fishing with the Transformer and Disney Princess poles, but didn't catch a thing. We had fun, though. Brookie slept like a champ and besides Alisa's face plant on the rocks, it was a good time.

I think this was pre-face plant.

What a big girl! I can't believe my little baldy now has enough hair to do 2 half-pony tails. She seems so grown up. We took her to the dr. for a flu shot and check-up. She's in about the 75th percentile for height, weight, and head. Tall and proportionate.

Baby B is also healthy and proportionate, weighing in at 14.9 lbs. What a chunk! Alisa had to go potty during Brooke's check-up, so I was gone when he checked her growth. I just looked it up, though. I guess she is between the 25th and 50th for height, 50th and 75th for weight, and over the 95th for head circumference. Glad she was a c-section with that noggin! It is such a square head, too. A cute square head.

Pumpkin Carving for FHE. Jake was thrilled he had a bad guy pumpkin face. He was also totally grossed out from the pumpkin slime/seeds. He would not touch it at first, but finally dared to take the plunge. Once. That was enough. He asked for a spoon to scoop it out. Alisa was wary at first, too, but dug in after awhile, ending with, "My hands are messy! I need to wash my sticky hands!"

This really captured their own personalities. Look at those faces. Lately Jake will growl at Alisa with this really ugly face and chase her around the house. She runs in, terrified. Poor girl. She says he's too scary! She is a sweetie, and a typical two year old, rolled into one. Are my kids the only crazy nudists? Seriously. It's below freezing outside and they are prancing around in their undies. I have to fight to keep clothes on them for more than a half hour.

We decided to roll them in heath bits. Yum. After weeks of no ice cream or anything (not that we have treats much, but you know...) it was nice to have a treat I could eat (not that I should've!).

Final Pumpkins

The FIRST SNOW!!! Jake's been asking me since August when it's going to snow. There's something magical about the first snow. It has stayed cold enough that it didn't melt too much. This was yesterday. Today we went across the street to the golf course and sledded down the hill for over an hour. The kids had a lot of fun. I'm glad we live so close to a hill!

Help! We're O.D.D.

Hi. My kids are officially O.D.D. (OutDoor Deficient... it is a new disorder that is being diagnosed, so I learned in Jake's old preschool). I am on my sixth day of being sick with a hacking cough, chest and head cold, sinus pressure, achy body. I detest being sick, but then, who likes it?

So I thought I'd take a minute to post some pictures while my two girls sleep and Jake watches a movie on mute (he threw the remote against his bedroom wall and it doesn't work anymore, so it's stuck on mute. Yes, he is captain destructo).

It is now officially fall here. We woke up to 30 degrees and it is sunny and crisp and sweater weather. Now if I could just lose some baby weight so my sweaters fit! :0)

Here is a fun craft we saw here. You thread cheerios or other o's and noodles onto a spagetti noodle. The kids really liked it, to my surprise, and did a few each before they started crushing cheerios in my tortilla press (yes, captain destructo again!). It kept them busy while I made dinner. Then I had Jake vacuum the mess up with the hose attachment. He loved it.

What a sweetie... sometimes. It comes and goes. But just then, she was being sweet. And she finally found her voice.

We roll her around on the blanket a lot, but no independent rolling so far.

Tummy time: Me no likey

I have found Jake and Alisa playing baby lately. He has one of Alisa's diapers on. Nice.

Beautiful Fall Leaves, right outside of our house. I LOVE the fall leaves and the crisp sweater weather. Scott is the budding photographer here.

We went up to Sunrise ski resort for a scenic ride on the chairlift. Opted not to take the girls, so Jake and Scott went for a chilly ride, paid $15 and got a free season pass for Jake. He wants to snowboard this year. We'll see how it goes.

Don't mind the slicked back ponytail. It is so windy here!

I wish this did it justice. The fall trees among the pines are gorgeous!

Jake is really into boys vs. girls. For instance, I asked him to tell me the names of his friends at school. All the boys. I don't like girls, mom.

We were all on our bed. Jake and Scott were on the boys side, we were on the girls side. I said we were on the fun side. Yeah, but we are on the BAD side! Laughing, I said they were on the path that rocks (think Emporer's New Groove). Yeah, mom, and I'm gonna throw them at you! (the rocks on the path, I guess.) Such a goober.

Speaking of him being a goober and a destructo, I am having a hard time understanding his destructiveness. He is always, always destroying something. I am being literal here. Take the broken remote, Princess Jasmine's can-opener-smashed hand, all the door stoppers, the nail he hammered into his wall, the paper he crumpled and threw at me just to irk me. He is not exactly my angel right now. Then I remembered my brothers, tearing apart all our dolls. Homemade dolls, lovingly made by my mama. Maybe he is just a boy. A high energy boy. Any suggestions? I mean, suggestions on how not to throw him against a wall, keep my cool, get him to stop?

Adios, mi amor.

I am no longer in doubt. It's official. I can't eat Mexican food. For another 6-8 months. Darned nursing! I love spicy food! Boo. But really, the long nights and days of screaming, writhing baby are just not worth the taste of that fresh, spicy salsa. So I say again: Boo. I'll miss you, good, tasty food. Until we meet again...

Latest craft: pipe cleaner spiders from familyfun.com. Cute and easy for kids.

Jake's piano lesson. He's been asking for lessons lately.

Quick fun: I made some pizza dough and let them stretch, play, and snitch. Then we tossed it.

She loves this hat!

First reaction to tights: Too tight! Cried for 20 minutes before church. She is a free spirit. She is used to bare feet or crocs and sundresses. She is not happy about pants, shorts, fitted shirts, tights, closed-toed shoes. She is slowly getting used to wearing winter-ish clothing.

Couldn't resist. Thrift store find. $4. He's in Spidey heaven.

Halloween craft: painting acorns to make pumpkins/bats

These two crack me up... most of the time!

Bath time fun. My kids love to play with sponges in the bath.

Happy Birthday, Scott! He wanted a pineapple upside-down cake, which was good, but I thought was way too rich! I made him take the rest to work.

Jake was so thrilled to have jeans and be able to dress like dad. Twinners.

Oh, potty training. Can't wait to be done.

Milk... Who Needs It? And some funny quotes

I have been lactose-free now for almost 7 days. Can I just say I really, really like milk and milk products? I was eating milk and cereal for breakfast, string cheese for a snack, yogurt and cottage cheese (yes, I like them mixed together even though Scott thinks it's disgusting... something about texture) for lunch, and sometimes dairy at dinner (cheese, sour cream, etc.).

Brooke was not happy. So, I am depriving myself for awhile and may slowly work some milk back into my diet. After 24 hours without, we had a MUCH happier baby. I really thought I'd never be willing to change what I ate and that my babies were just gassy, and nothing was going to change that. Welp, I was wrong.

Thanks, Josh and Tarah, for the gentle hints that I should cut the dairy. It's working.

Before I forget...

During General Conference:

Scott: Do you know who that is, Jake? It's Elder Nelson.

Jake: Who's that?

Scott: He is an apostle, just like Jesus' apostles when he was alive.

Jake: Are you an apostle?

Scott: No, I'm an Elder.

Jake: You're an angel?!

Scott: No, an Elder!


And from Alisa the other day (just for JENNI)

"I want Jenni and Josh!" When I asked, "What?" She said it again, clearly, "I want Jenni and Josh!"

She loves you.

Dah-Dah-dah-dahhhh!

My little sis got married! She is so amazing and incredibly happy. It was great to be with all of my siblings and their kids, even with that poor 24 hour flu. Thanks, mom and dad, for throwing a great reception after. It was so fun. Here is my lovely sister, lounging in the grass...

Shelly and Darin

The next day, Jake and Alisa found some old bricks to build a tower.

Cutting the cake. Don't look too closely. I am in the background, picking something out of my teeth. Classy.

All of my siblings.

My whole family. Wow. Big fam. Love these guys.

Magical.

I just had to include this. Here is the little chunker, Treston, next to a picture of his daddy in the same outfit. They totally look alike.

Here is the newest addition to our family. Jare and Amanda's baby, Malia. What a cutie!

The night before the wedding, Jare and Amanda found a Golden Spoon so the girls could have a little girl time before Shelly's big day.

Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go...

...and when [s]he is old (three months) [s]he will not depart from it!

We are facing this with Brookie. Somehow, in all of our moving, recovering, vacations, and getting settled in, we forgot to give Brooke a bottle. For two months. So we effectively trained her NOT to take a bottle. AH! We are paying for it now. We did give her one a few times when she was little, then just slacked off. She has refused to take a bottle, and does she ever have a set of lungs to let you know how she feels about it.

So we are taking the Baby Whisperer's advice and doing a two day hiatus from breast feeding. I am not exaggerating when I say Brooke has some lungs. She screams and screams her "angry scream" for about 20 minutes before she actually takes a bottle. But, she is taking a bottle! We have 24 hours to go, and hopefully by the end of it she won't be screaming when she is offered a bottle. It is rough. Really, really rough. The first day she refused to eat and screamed until her morning nap. She went from 10:30 pm until about 10 am without eating. What a stubborn little thing! Hopefully today will be better.

Today at church:

Alisa (whispering): Mom, I have to tell you a secret (she still has some baby talk, but this is what she said, esentially)

Me: What? (expecting an "I love you" or something)

Alisa: I gonna fro you in the garbage!

Yes, Jake has an influence. This is his latest threat if we take something away from him. Nice. My sweet little girl is learning to trash talk.

On the way home from church:

Jake: Mom, why do I scream like a girl?