October

We headed out to a pumpkin patch.  We went to the Pioneer historical one up north (pretty close to our house).  I still think Schnepf Farms is the best one we've done...but who wants to drive to Queen Creek.  The kids had fun.  They rode ponies.  Chloe kept digging in her heels and yelling "Hee-ya."  Not sure where she got it, but it cracked me up.

I insisted Chloe wear her long sleeve Halloween shirt even though it was still too hot.  I guess I'm still not willing to come to grips with AZ weather.  I tried to get a cute pic of the two of them several times...this was the best one.

 

 

 

 

Halloween was fun.  I made Chloe a little bee dress.  Carson's costume was super easy.  It was basically his church clothes plus a T-shirt and glasses.  I tacked his shirt open so it would show.  Chloe got the idea of Halloween very fast.  Carson had talked big about wanting to Trick-or-Treat for hours.  He got tired after 2 blocks though and wanted to go home.  He actually asked me to continue Trick-or-Treating for him while he went home to relax...ha!  I had to inform him that's not the way it works.

 

 

Also in October, I was 9 months pregnant and wanting it to be over.  The muscles under my belly and my lower back hurt constantly.  I was swollen (not as bad as when I was pregnant with Chloe though).  I was due 10/31...but she wasn't born till November...so next post.

September

Apparently nothing happened in September or I only took a few pictures.  Carson had an assembly and here is his school picture.

August 2013

 

In August, Chloe turned 2!  She was in that phase of a very cheesy grin.  Chloe's talking really took off around this time.  I'm wishing I had blogged this sooner so I could talk more on her behavior at 2, but I'll just fill in with what she's doing now (a few months later).

She usually speaks in 4 or 5 word sentences.  She is very good at communicating what she wants.  She definitely knows the "no-no's" in this household, but still chooses to get into EVERYTHING.  She'll even tell me that she is going to be good by saying "My just watch mom, no touch" as she shakes her hand in a no-no fashion.  But 3 seconds later, she's touching whatever it is she just said she wouldn't.  She uses the word "my" instead of "I." 

She likes to inform us that she is a big girl.  She loves to copy everything Carson does.  She isn't nearly as coordinated as Carson was at her age so this results in lots of bumps and bruises.  She trips and falls on unseen things all the time.  She is somewhat fearless, jumping off of couches and beds all the time.

She is also a little love.  Just wanting to be held sometimes.  She'll ask me to scratch her back and always lifts up the back of her shirt so I'll scratch her skin, rather than the outside of her shirt.  She likes songs and dancing.  She is obsessed with my makeup bag.  I have to keep it very high up and do my makeup as fast as possible each morning.

After I do her hair I'll ask her to look at me, so I can make sure it looks ok.  She always says "Beautiful, mom?"...but it sounds more like do-a-ful, mom?  She'll say beautiful after she's gotten into my makeup as well.

We got her a play kitchen for her birthday.  She loved it and played with it all day.  I did not realize how much fake eating I would have to do though.  We got a smoking deal off craigslist.  Everything in the pic below, plus more (not pictured) for $70.  We were excited.  Karl and I did have to spend a few hours the night before her birthday cleaning every single piece of food and all the dishes.  That got old real fast.

 

She knows the best way to eat a cupcake.

Also in August, Carson started first grade.  He was excited.  Chloe wanted to be in every picture.

I know I'm biased, but I think that is one handsome little boy.

Random - Chloe insists on wearing the Batman cape as an apron.

July

In July, we headed up to Utah to see the family and go to Owen's baby blessing.  My sister Jackie just had her third (Owen).  Karl's little sister was blessing her first baby the same weekend, so we divided and conquered.  So I did the drive, just me and the kids.  I was a little nervous about it but it turned out great. 

I think I overprepared, but that meant the kids had lots of options for entertainment.  I mapped out the entire drive, including where we would stop, what restaurant we would go to, at what point in the drive we would watch a movie, etc.  It really helped me to have a schedule.  We also left really early in the morning (4 am).  I was hoping the kids would sleep the first few hours of the trip, but I was kidding myself.  I quietly got them up and put them in the car at 4 am and started on the drive.  They were both wide awake from that moment on.  My kids don't sleep normal in a car.  We've even tried night driving once and they were both up till 2 am.  They still took a nap along the drive, but nothing extensive.

Anyway, we made it!  And that's the important thing.  It was so great to see my family.  We were there for 4th of July and enjoyed the fireworks.  The blessing was great.

Carson and his cousin are only a month apart.  They had fun playing.

 Uncle Tyson helped Carson light fireworks.

Chloe took a very quick liking to Uncle Tyson.  She sat on the couch and snuggled with my sister Jessie and her husband Tyson for a long time.  This is very unusual behavior for my active 2 year old.

In July, Carson did basketball.  I thought it would be a good summer sport since it is played indoors, but practices were still outside.  I love Arizona so much.  He had fun, but even with the hoop at 8' he couldn't shoot the ball high enough to make a basket.  He also got intimidated and would just pass the minute he got the ball. 

 Here he is at practice, running lines and loving it.

 

 

Chloe was quite the handful at practice and at games.  She made a little friend though and they were cute.  One game I was trying to take a few pictures of Carson and in the brief second I looked away, she ran out onto the court.  I ran out to grab her while saying sorry to all the boys trying to play.  That was a little embarrassing.

 



May Part 2

So I forgot a bunch that happened in May.

I got to go to Girl's Camp!  It was fun.  The camp here in AZ is pretty posh compared to ours in Spokane.  We have cabins, some one else makes all our meals, flushing toilets, electricity, etc. etc.  I had a great group of girls.  I love all the Young Women (obviously), but my cabin liked to go to bed at 10:30 pm and were easy to get up in the morning.  One night, the other adult leader and I out talked the girls by an hour and a half.

It was fun getting to know them on a more personal level.  We got to talk about which boys in the ward are cute (I found their opinions very entertaining), I had to reveal my celebrity crush, etc. etc.  As the adult, I found myself picking up the cabin periodically.  I used to be the one making the mess.  I think I folded one girl's jeans 6 times in four days.  Not complaining though, I kind of loved that I was doing it...being the adult leader at Girl's Camp.  There were lots of fun activities and some really awesome devotionals.  I was glad I got to be up there and spend time with our amazing Young Women.

Here is a video of our girls when we found a snake.  Oh, and our camp was the country France (hence the berets) and we were also assigned the value Knowledge (hence why they are green).

 

Also in May, I actually made it to Carson's assembly (unlike the last time when I showed up at the end).  They had been studying George Washington Carver and Clara Barton.  So they sang a mash up of the songs "Found A Peanut" and "Lean on Me."  And again, he's standing by his on again off again flame Lorelei.  How is he supposed to get over being dumped if they are always forced to be by each other?  Just kidding - like he even remembers that happened.

June 2013

Carson turned 6!  We had a family dinner on his birthday.  He requested brinner (breakfast for dinner).  I made a bunch of yummy things.  Buttermilk pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, french toast bake, and fruit.  There was lots of whipped cream and chocolate chips involved too.

Then he had a Nerf party with friends that Saturday.  Unfortunately, most of his church friends were out of town and all of his school friends never RSVP'ed or showed up.  School got out a month before his birthday so I think they probably just forgot.  Luckily, his cousins were in town and a few friends were able to make it.  Plus, his dad and Uncle HL were very much into the Nerf war as well. 

Sweet Set Up

 

Ammo Table

 

I got all the kids safety glasses...just in case.  Then we had snacks and cupcakes (the theme being orange).  They did a few target practice games but it was pretty much Nerf war.  It was a lot of fun.

 Cute Kids

 

 Karl taking the kids through the rules

 

 Target Game

This girl knows the good part of a cupcake

 

 

 

Also in June - all 4 of us got a gross stomach bug.  There was more vomit in this house than...well, there was a lot.  Luckily, we all got it staggered over a few days.  Me first, then Chloe a few days later, then Karl and Carson the day after that.  Carson's was the worst.  He had a meatball sub for dinner...and it started while he was asleep in bed.  I won't subject you to anymore than that.  You are probably already gagging.  This whole joyous thing set our family back a week.

 

And another fun health problem...Chloe dislocated her elbow...AGAIN!  This girl.  It was her left again.  Karl was trying to guide her out of a room and she went limp in protest.  Her elbow popped right out.  She did the same thing as last time, just kind of whimpering and holding her arm.  She wouldn't use it.  So we just took her in right away and they popped it back in.  The likelihood of it happening again goes up once it happens a first time.  So there you go.

Baby #3 On the Way

Since I'm now almost up to date...this is probably a good place to interject.  We are expecting baby #3 and I am due October 31st.  It is another girl.  Carson is going to be outnumbered now.  He seems okay with it though.  I think he likes being the big brother to his little sister.

Chloe and this one will be 2 years 3 months apart.  I'm a little worried for my sanity...but I guess that's the story of motherhood.

So with #3 we won't have to purchase too much.  We'll have to move Chloe into a big bed though.  We've transitioned her into a toddler bed for now.  It is ok, but not perfect.  She has never been a great sleeper so sometimes I'll find her up at 3 am...light on, playing with toys.  Oh, and she's usually taken all her clothes and diaper off.  I think I say "this girl" (while I shake my head) a little too much.

May 2013

We went on a VACATION!!!  We just did a long weekend trip and went to San Diego.  We took the kids to Sea World and the zoo...and we had so much fun.

Chloe is very attached to her pacifiers!  This was during the drive to San Diego.

 

Sea World:

My cuties during the sea lion show.  We got "rained" on during the show...it was seagull poop.  Luckily I had wipes.  The 5 people that all got sprayed were grateful I had them as well.  I was handing out so many I thought about charging.

 

 Chloe was terrified of Elmo.  She loves Elmo...but apparently not 6 foot Elmo.

 

And the zoo:

 Looking at snakes.  I just stood in the back and took pictures of these 3. 

Because of the time of year, there were lots of babies.  At Sea World there was a baby orca just swimming with her mama the whole show.  There was this baby panda.  And...

 

a baby giraffe.  See him in the back?  He was only 3 days old and already over 6 feet tall.

Thanks for the great vacation San Diego!

April 2013

I guess not much happened because this is all I got...

We went swimming.  I couldn't decide which pictures were the cutest...so I am posting them all!

 

That's all...we went swimming.  The end of April.  I think I was probably working a ton and Karl had tests...so, yup.