Busy, fun Saturday

We have a way of packing our Saturdays. This last week was no exception and I happened to have my camera on hand a lot! First, we took the kids to the hospital where Claire is going to be born for a big brother/big sister's class. It was darling. They talked to the kids about baby safety, what to expect when mommy goes to the hospital, took us on a tour of the labor and delivery areas and then taught the kids how to diaper and wrap a baby in a blanket. I know I am a hormonal pregnant woman these days because I started crying during the short Sesame Street video they showed about baby bear getting a new little sister! I am so excited for her to arrive! :)




After the hospital we went to find Halloween costumes. I was about to drop too much money at the party store on packaged costumes but decided to try the Goodwill first. We found tons of options there and had a little party in the dressing rooms trying things on. I was happy to teach the kids about the joys of a bargain and got them all dressed up cute for very little $$. Everyone is happy.

Daddy made a rare trip to the hobby store with all of us and splurged on himself (which is very, very rare!). He got a remote control car for he and the boys to play around with and take to neighborhood races, and a couple rockets. They had a fun afternoon putting everything together and then we all set out for a big field to launch Jake's first rocket! Later we rented the movie, October Sky and watched that on Sunday. The kids are big into rocketeering now! :)




Finally, I was able to continue chugging along and keeping up with the family. Luke took this lovely shot for me of my belly.... and then I had to try taking one myself in the mirror. Both ought to be entered into a photo contest of some sort.

All in all we are keeping busy... and having fun!

Fall Break

This is a special Fall break because we are anticipating the baby within the next few weeks. I know that life will be much different with a little one in tow again, so I wanted to make this week really fun going and doing with the kids. No stroller, no diaper bag, no even buckling kids into their seatbelts (they do that on their own...) life is very easy right now.

So the kids and I made a plan a few weeks ahead of all the places they'd like to go and we budgeted how much money we needed to set aside for it (teaching them about money and coupons, etc). I have been happy to tote them around and read my book while they play and play.

MONDAY - Chuck E Cheese's and Toy Story 3 - which I hadn't seen yet - cute.



TUESDAY - BounceU



and playing with Uncle Blake who came to town for a couple days to be interviewed for an ortho school here. Everyone is giving their thumbs up meaning good-luck, we hope Blake gets accepted so Blake and Ali and Paigey can move HERE in May!! (update: he's since heard back from them and is the first alternate! If one of the first three guys doesn't accept their offer, he's IN!!)



I then lost my camera in a stack of laundry on my bathroom counter until just now so I have no more pictures of the week, but for memory's sake:

WEDNESDAY - Went to IKEA (put all the kids in the kids club and did some shopping) and Makutu's Island.

THURSDAY - Played with friends then met up with daddy to go to the Phoenix Science Center. Ended up buying a membership because it was so fun (and what's another $40 when you've paid $40 to get in once?!) Then we went to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Maybe my fav day so far.

FRIDAY - Mom's treat. Got a sitter from 10-2, went to the OB (36 weeks now, making no progress toward delivery which is typical for me, but all is well!), took myself to lunch and for a pedicure. Delightful. Then took the kids swimming at the neighborhood pool. Can it really be fall?!

Tomorrow we have a tour at the hospital where Claire will be born. The kids get to go to a siblings class to learn about the baby, how to change diapers and wrap her up and then get a little certificate about being a big bro/sis. They are excited about that.

Life is good. It's been a nice break.

Jake

I haven't had much to say about Jake lately, so I thought I'd give a little update. He is doing so great this Fall in preschool. He has begun to read! Simple word chains like, "pot", "hot", "lot", "dot". He loves it and loves his teacher Ms. Rosie. Also, his five little buddies whom he attends school with and then playgroup everyday afterward. He is so easy to have around now, and very eager to help around the house. He often rubs my back and says, "I will do whatever you want me to do mom" when it comes to clean up time. I love him so much.

Daddy and I made carmel apples with him last weekend. He loved the alone time, getting to push the sticks in by himself and roll the apples in different toppings.


Auntie Shelly took this picture of Jake I think at Pack Meeting. If you've seen the Michael Jackson "This is It" cover you'll recognize this pose. Jake is a full-blown MJ fan, and somehow picked up this and many of his other moves and poses. It is amazing. Whenever it is our turn to have playgroup at our house Jake asks his buddies if they want to dance to Michael Jackson. They all looked at him blankly the first few times, but he would take his shirt off and let it rip - and slowly the others joined him! Ashley finally got so tired of hearing the MJ disk that she threw it in the garbage last week unbeknownst to me and it is long gone now. Poor Jakey. Although I think we all did need a break from the music - and I only want my kids to like Michael Jackson to a point. Funny.

Luke earns his Bobcat!

On Wednesday Luke had his first pack meeting since becoming a scout and earned his bobcat award and also his swimming, kickball, chess and basketball beltloops! He is loving scouts and has taken off with earning awards! We loved watching him bob for an apple, which is tradition for the boys earning their bobcats. I know he is going to do and learn great things as a cubscout.

New Couches!

After six weeks of waiting our new couches have arrived! I have envisioned what I wanted my livingroom couches to look like for years and when we moved the old navy sectional down to the basement a few months ago (I did that myself one day, never underestimate a nesting woman) it was time to do something with the livingroom. So we found just what we wanted a had them made. I am a happy mommy. And informed the boys that if I see them jumping on my new couches with their shoes on (or off) their feet will be removed. Sounds fair, doesn't it?

Fall

The weather has at last cooled down! We survived another Arizona summer!! Saturday took us to the Home Depot for soil and seeds to get our winter garden started. We are hoping for the same success we had in our last house although that was crazy. We planted carrots, onions, lettuce and broccoli and some wild flowers. The kids loved it - and I even participated a little bit dispite the basketball under my shirt. Oh, the air smells so nice when it is cool outside. Yay for FALL!!

More from Ashley's birthday

Just uploaded a few more shots. These were taken when daddy and I took Ashley on her birthday date to the Olive Garden and Target to pick out her presents. She ended up deciding on some baby stuff and it worked out so well for her. She and Jakey were busy the whole night when we got home setting up their "daycare/homeschool" it was darling. And the fun continued throughout conference weekend, the kids played dolls in the livingroom while we listened. She is a precious little seven year old girl.

Hunger Games

I just woke up - after a long, restless night's sleep - and felt amused at myself. Never have a been a huge reader, but this week I have. My friend started me on The Hunger Games Monday, and I haven't been able to set the book down. My first thought this morning as I came to was about Peeta, wondering what was going to happen to him today. Crazy.

I find it funny that the two books I've been into this pregnancy both have the word HUNGER in their titles. My mom loaned me a slow, but interesting read, Ordeal By Hunger which is a non-fiction about the Donner Party. When Ty saw that now I am reading, The Hunger Games, we got a kick out of it. Got something on my mind?! :)

It's very fun to have a great read once in a while. It's working out perfectly for me these last few weeks of pregnancy to be able to campout on the couch, or at the park bench and let Jakey just play around while I turn pages. But I can say this much for sure: my marriage wouldn't be as good if I was always into a book. Poor Ty came home last night and it was everything I could do to pull myself away from the book and chat. He kept turning off the family room lights of us to snuggle in a watch a show, and I kept wanting to flip them on again and bury my nose. Ultimately I ended up in the bath (a rarity), reading again. Then when I heard him begin to breath like he was a asleep I rolled out of bed and read a little bit more. It's not easy to sleep anyway.

But this is fun and unusual. I honestly stopped reading much when Luke and Ashley were toddlers because I found myself annoyed when they would constantly inturrupt me, or when I would look up and find them wondering off somewhere or stuck up on a high park structure. I figured my job was to be a happy, attentive mom - and reading a really good book kind-of pulls me into fantasy land a little too much.

But for now, let's see... I get my kids out the door to school in a half hour... and the park bench is already calling my name. Jake will be thrilled with another morning spent in the fresh air while I read - and I'll be able to find out what in the world Katniss is going to do with Peeta. Drempt about it all night...

Good for a laugh

On Sunday during General Conference we had ourselves some fun with Drew's Fat Booth app on his itouch. Grandma, Shelly, Drew, Ty and I all looked too scary to share publicly. But the kids are still cute. What a difference an extra 20 pounds would make! :)

Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!

If it seems like I've been making a lot of birthday posts recently, I have. On the calendar, Jake was born Aug 10th, a month later Luke was born on Sept. 8th, and three weeks after that Ashley's came on October 1st. Claire will follow suit and come a month from now, first week in November. So Fall is party central around here - the stork circles the house this time of year dropping little bundles of joy!

So today is Ashley's much anticipated birthday! Luke actually woke me up first, in the dark, at six telling me we could get started on her breakfast in bed. I rolled over and said, "come back in a half hour". Then the next thing I knew, Ashley was there climbing in with me and daddy. All smiles and excitement about it being her birthday!

We got breakfast put together for her and brought it into our room. She was a happy girl. We gave her the new tradition, a candy poster, and a "birthday girl" t-shirt to wear to school today.




She had her strawberry shortcake party last Saturday with a bunch of little girl friends. It was fun and she took part in planning all the little details. That's the kind of girl Ashley is.









Tonight we get to take her to dinner at the Olive Garden, her fav place for noodles and breadsticks. Ashley is a special girl and so much fun to have around! LOVE YOU!!