KIDS SAY/DO THE DARNDEST THINGS!

The funny things our little boy says:

• While eating his very healthy breakfast of Lucky Charms he says, "cereal is good for my bum bum, my eyes and my neck!" Wow, good thing he was eating so much of it!


• While standing in the family room, clearly in poop mode he says, "uh oh, there is concrete coming out of my bum bum!" And lately, he just tells me "concretes all out, can you change my diaper mommy?" Guess you would have to understand that he is very into Bob the Builder and Auntie Ally gave him a DVD for his birthday. In the DVD, they are building roads, pouring concrete, etc.


• Today he asked me, "Do I have a big pee-pee?" How do you answer this? I tried to explain that is pee-pee was just the right size for him (without laughing, of course).


• When I told Grant that tax season was almost over, he said "are we gonna have a Daddy back?" to which I happily responded "YES!!!"


• While Loren was throwing a huge tantrum one day about wanting juice instead of water, Grant said, "I can't drink water, it will make me poop too much!" Guess he got the water and juice confused since I am constantly telling him that he can't have so much juice because it will make him poop.

• Lately we are having a bit of a nose picking problem with Grant. Thankfully he doesn't do it much in public and he has NEVER put them in house mouth, whew!!! He usually goes into picking mode right before dosing off to sleep. The funniest thing though is that after he picks his nose, he says "Mom/Dad, can you wipe my finger?" He doesn't want his finger dirty with boogers so we have to get a tissue and wipe his finger.

• Grant has always had some separation issues but they seem to be worse than ever lately (possibly anxious about the new baby, etc?). Anyways, when Grant gets really upset and cries, he will cry to the point of gagging himself and throwing up - has done so since he was young. Anyways, the other day he did not want me to leave to go get a pedicure, he was throwing a fit, hanging on me, so on and so forth. Kirsten was there to watch them and I told Grant if he kept carrying on, he was going to make himself throw up. A few minutes later, I went into the cupboard, gave him a bowl and went on my merry way (knowing full well he would be fine but would probably throw up first). Sure enough, when I got back, Kirsten said the threw up twice in the bowl, then said, "wow, look at this mess I made, I should clean it up" and then he completely snapped out of it and was fine. UGHHH!!!! Since then, I have been telling him that he is going to go to nursery all by himself on Sunday like a big boy, to which he responded "MOM, can you bring my bowl???" I don't think I will bring a bowl but I will make sure there is a trash can nearby. I'll let ya know how it goes.

LOREN- toe paint, Daddy's Girl and Vampire?

My sweet little girl has been pretty funny lately. Loren has always been a girlie girl and has never felt completely dressed without a bow in her hair (even for bedtime). The other day I went to have a pedicure done while Kirsten watched the kiddos. Loren was fascinated by my colored toenails. Later that afternoon, Grant had to go to the Dr. for a well-child visit and Kirsten came to watch Loren for me. While I was gone, Loren kept telling Kirsten "paint, paint, paint!" Kirsten got down every imaginable paint thinking that Loren wanted to color, fingerpaint, watercolor, etc. Apparently Loren kept getting more and more frustrated and finally said "paint" and pointed to her toes. My little Loren wanted her toenails painted like Mommy. So....Kirsten went searching the house and found some nail polish to do the job, not an easy task (painting the nails, that is!) I guess Loren kept touching them once they were painted so Kirsten realized she would have to paint only one at a time and then blow on it profusely until it dried. When Grant and I returned home, Loren was more than proud to show us her freshly painted toenails.

Loren has definitely been a Daddy's girl lately - actually both kids have been (I keep telling Chris, what am I, chopped liver!!) If she has a choice, it is always Daddy she wants - which comes in handy even when she wants her poopy diaper changed - haha!! Today the kids were fighting over who was going to go for a ride with Daddy in the TR6 and while each one took a turn, poor mom was left with the crying one at home. Today we also went to the park and here is Loren flying the kite with Daddy.

Well, my sweet little girl has turned into a vampire - or maybe it is that she has finally figured out how to retaliate against her big brother. She has finally found something that works and uses it every chance she gets - yes ...she is BITING!!! UGHHHHHHH ......poor Grant has teeth marks and bruises on his back and arm from Miss Loren. If she wants something that he has, she runs behing him, mouth open and bites his back. I can't even get there before she has taken another chomp. I don't know what I am going to do with her. A friend recommended I put a dab of hot sauce in her mouth when she bites, others have told me to bite her back...not sure what the answer is but I feel like a referee all day long. Yikes, what will I do when Morgan arrives!!!! Loren is really very sweet and I don't think she has ever bitten Grant unprovoked, now I just need to teach Grant how NOT to provoke her - easier said than done!!!

TAG, I'M IT!!!

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? Ten years ago I had graduated from Fresno State University with my degree in Health Science. I was working my first real job as a health educator for the Tulare County Tobacco Prevention Program. We were still living in Fresno so I was communting 50 minutes each way. Chris and I had been married about 2 1/2 years.

2. What was on my to-do list for today? Clean out our massive closet that goes underneath the staircase and move the christmas decorations to our new garage cabinets - neither of which got done. We did a lot of other fun stuff though.

3. What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire? Pay off our house and help some of our loved ones who are struggling financially.

4. 3 Bad Habits: Biting my fingernails(thanks Tammi for reminding me that i did this, haha), taking on more than I can handle, picking up after my kids before they are even done playing with the toys (i think i need some serious help with this one).

5. Places I have lived: Houston, TX, Fresno, CA, Visalia, CA, Lincoln, CA

6. Places I have worked... Macy's (sold shoes for a zillion years - good money and great friends), Tulare County and the State of California Department of Health Services Immunization Branch.

7. 3 Things people don't know about me...I am a convert to the LDS church - was raised Catholic and have family who were/are nuns and priests - I HATE to read (I survived/passed highschool English classes by reading the Cliff Notes to every novel that was required reading - the only reading I enjoy are self-help books such as parenting, etc) - I married my highschool sweetheart (okay, some of you might know that but others may not).

I tag: Kari S., Tierra L., and Steph S.

OUR BEAUTIFUL KIDS!

I think I am in love - with our kids AND these pictures. Yesterday I went to have some pictures done of the kids for Daddy for Father's Day. A girl in our ward has been doing photography and I have seen, and been impressed by the work she has done. I couldn't wait to call her and have her do some long overdue pictures of our kids. We met at a park and spent about an hour following the kids around, letting them just be kids while she snapped pictures. The kids were troopers, especially Grant. Loren was a little more challenging but Keri was patient and the pictures show it. I am so impressed with just the few that she already posted on her website (I am sure she took at least 100). So...here is a sneak peak and I know I will be on pins and needles waiting to see the rest of them. Thanks Keri!

A DAY OUT WITH THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE

Today we were lucky enough to go spend "A Day Out with Thomas!!!" Yes...Thomas came to the Sacramento River Train in Woodland and when we heard he was coming, we knew we had to take the kiddos. We got to ride a train pulled by Thomas, meet Sir Topham Hat, play with trains, hear storytelling and singing, etc. The kids had so much fun and we were so glad that we bought tickets for an early train ride because it was unbelievably hot out there, even at 9:00 a.m. Grandma and Grandpa Sly were able to come up and enjoy the day with us. We had a great time and made lots of great memories.

Meeting Sir Topham Hat - as you can probably tell, Loren was less than enthusiastic about standing near him for a picture. And well, Grant kept trying to knock the guys head off, haha!!

Grandma Sly and Loren on the train ride

Grandpa Sly and Grant on the train ride

A rare picture of Mommy with Grant and Loren (can't believe I am actually posting this!)

Daddy's little girl. Loren has never cared much for the stroller and lately has wanted to walk everywhere. At least she is good about holding our hands and walking with us.

Grant and Loren on the train ride

Grant grinning from ear to ear. This boy LOVES trains!!

MY NEW OBSESSION

One of the things I have been missing lately is the time to be creative and do things with my hands. I miss scrapbooking and just can't find the time to get the stuff out to do anything. So...I have turned my talents elsewhere. I learned to crochet years ago when we were waiting to adopt a baby but haven't done much since then. Chris' Aunt Ellen has always made me these little girl socks with the beads on them for Loren. I have studied her socks and tried to replicate them but mine never turned out quite right. So...last week I decided to take a trip to his aunt's house for a quick tutorial. Little did I know I would become completely obsessed with sock making. I have crocheted about 10 pair in the last week and am still going like gangbusters. I have been making them for Loren and our new baby Morgan. I just love these socks. I love how the beads clank together and you can just hear Loren coming as she approaches. If I forget to put her socks on, she is right there pointing to her feet saying "beads, beads!" She is such a girlie girl.

We have a birthday for Baby Morgan!

I had my dr. appt. yesterday, I am 33 weeks but measuring at least 3 weeks bigger than that. Despite my nagging and begging, my lovely Dr. is still going to make me wait to have my c-section until I am at least 39 weeks (unless of course I want to subject myself to an amnio earlier). So...based on my dr.'s surgery schedule, Morgan's birthday will probably be June 29th, at approximately 6:00 a.m. This is of course all tentative because based on our past pregnancies/births, I have never made it to 39 weeks. If I go into labor before then, they will obviously just do the c-section and if we see signs of impending labor (dilation, softening of cervix, etc), we will revisit the birthday. But for now, it looks like it will be JUNE 29TH. Ughhh...that still seems so far away and I am HUGE and miserable and I am most definitely not ready for the 100 degree heat that we are expecting today.

The HAIRCUT

Hopefully my sweet husband will forgive me for blogging this but I thought it was too funny not to!!! For Grant's second birthday, our dear friend Kelly Waidmann, gave Grant a years worth of haircuts. Kelly has been more than patient with our son who was deathly afraid of haircuts ever since his first one. She comes to our house and Grant has done great with her. Anyways, as most of you know, Grant turned 3 last month and although I knew that Kelly would still cut his hair, I felt guilty about asking her. I talked to Chris about it and he assured me that he has had his hair cut for 34 years of his life and surely he knows how to cut hair and HE WOULD DO IT! Well Grant's hair was looking really shabby so I asked Chris if he wanted to cut it. Oh MY, I had a video of this haircut because I couldnt' stop laughing. Daddy was a little uncoordinated and awkward trying to hold a comb and the scissors (you know i love you Chris!) Grant sat so patiently as Chris cut his hair for probably 1/2 an hour. Chris admitted several times that it was harder than it looked, especially on a little boy but I let him continue just hoping that anything he did would be repairable. After the 1/2 hour, Chris announced that he was done. I took one look at the hair on the floor and one look at Grant and could not stop laughing. IT DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE HE HAD CUT HIS HAIR and there was only a small pile of hair on the floor (about 1/4 as much as when Kelly usually cuts his hair). The good news was that he hadn't messed up Grant's hair and Grant wouldn't be needing a buzz cut to cover up any mistakes. Needless to say, I called Kelly and asked her to cut Grant's hair the very next day. We love Kelly - thanks for all the great haircuts!!!!

MOTHER'S DAY

All I can say is what a difference a few years can make. As I reflect on this special day, Mother's Day, I remember how just a few short years ago, this could have easily been called the most difficult day of the year for me. Mother's Day was a reminder of how I longed to have a child, how I desperately wanted to experience being pregnant, nursing and giving birth. Mother's Day reminded me how much I longed to experience the unconditional love a child has for their mother and just how much I wanted to be called Mommy!!! Every year we struggled with infertility was more difficult than the previous year. We were getting older and worried we would never experience the joys of parenthood. I could hardly attend church on Mother's Day and when I did, I couldn't help but sob for the entire time. Chris was amazing during those difficult years (and continues to be) and I don't think I could have made it through them without his love, support and understanding. I know he was hurting too but somehow, he was always strong for me.

I can't believe that on this Mother's Day, I have two wonderfully sweet children and a third baby on the way. I could have never dreamed this a few years ago. I just want to thank my wonderful husband for making Mother's Day so special for me. I literally had Mother's Day weekend and it was so fun. I don't think I changed a diaper all weekend and he and the kids kept telling me "Happy Mother's Day" all weekend. They make me feel so special, loved and appreciated. As I look back now, I can appreciate the person I have become as a result of our struggle with infertility. I am grateful for the strength and faith that I gained as we endured such a difficult trial. I am SO GRATEFUL to be a mother, to be given this sacred opportunity to raise, love and nurture a few of Heavenly Father's children. I am so grateful that by some miracle, HE has allowed me this wonderful experience. I LOVE BEING A MOTHER!

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

If you know my sweet husband at all, you will know that he LOVES cars - all kinds, types, years, makes and models. He is quite the car guru and has a few tinker toys of his own. A few weeks ago, on one of those really warm days, he thought it would be fun to pull out the TR6 and wash it with Grant. It was pretty fun to watch and Grant had a blast. Chris was very patient, much more than I thought me might be around his "toys." Grant was wet from head to toe when they were done but the smile on his face was priceless. Loren and I sat happily by with Grandma and Grandpa and just watched.

After they finished washing the car, Grant had to have Daddy open up the hood so they could see the engine. Grandpa had Loren and Daddy had Grant. They were both wide-eyed looking in and Grandpa and Daddy pointed out all the important car parts inside. Priceless and I think Daddy loved the fact that even Loren wanted to get in on the action.

AND THE BABY'S NAME IS...

Many people have been asking, including our family, if we have decided on a name for our little girl to arrive next month. We had been tossing around several names but I think we have settled on MORGAN FAITH. The kids have really latched on to the name and call her Baby Morgan already so if we decided to go with something else, well...she would probably still be called Morgan, haha!!! Anyways, we love the name and I think we're sticking with it.

I AM IN LOVE

Okay, I guess it's a bit trivial to say you are in love with baby bedding but I AM!!! OH MY GOSH, I knew when I saw this baby bedding in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog that I had to have it for our new baby girl. I had no idea what type of decor I would do in her room but when I saw this bedding, it all came together. For those of you who have known us when we lived in our old house, you will remember that I had lots of decor in these same colors - ceramic tea set collections, picture frames, etc. etc. I couldn't part with much of it even though our home decor has drastically changed so I still have lots of it in boxes - and much of it will be perfect for a little girls room. I am so excited. Anyways, the bedding was beautiful in the catalog but when it actually came in the mail on Friday and I saw it in person, well...even the pictures don't do it justice. I am going to get a white crib and the other furniture is already white whicker. Now I just have to decide what color to paint the room - blue or green. Oh, I am beyond excited, if you can't tell!!!

CRAZY NESTING

When we were on vacation at the end of April, I think I went into serious panic mode thinking the baby was going to be here before we knew it and I had NOTHING ready. I needed to sell some furniture on craigslist so that I can rearrange some rooms and turn the guest room into a nursery. I needed to buy a crib, wash all the baby clothes, put them away, buy baby bedding, paint the nursery, etc. etc. I went into serious, crazy woman, nesting phase. Chris was laughing at me but he should know how I am by . I have to have things all organized and perfectly ready - AND not at the last minute. I am happy to report that the closet is now full of clean clothes, all the other clothes, blankets, burp cloths, etc are washed and ready to be put away. Most of the furniture I needed to sell is gone and now I am ready to rearrange the rooms, paint the nursery (or have someone else do that), and buy the crib. Yippee, I am feeling much less stressed about that now. The kids have been having fun helping me too - they love to go in the baby's room and hang out and help mommy do stuff - Grant seems to organize the baby's socks at least daily. Oh, I got the baby bedding last week and will post about that later.

DAY 1 VACATION - SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM

Our first day of vacation we decided to head to Vallejo and go to the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. We knew that they had recently opened "Thomas Town" and it was sure to be a hit with our kids. Chris says that the three rides in Thomas Town alone made the entrance fee to the park worthwhile. Not sure I agree with that but they DID love it.

The first ride we rode was of course "Thomas the Tank Engine." Grant and Loren were grinning from ear to ear. Before the ride started, the conductor came up and asked us if we wanted to take Grant's picture in the Thomas Engine after we went on the ride. It wasn't a surprise that Grant is a huge Thomas fan since he was sporting his Thomas hat that we got at the train museum on his birthday.

Grant and Daddy rode Harold the Helicopter and Mommy and Loren rode in a separate helicopter (no pictures because of course, mommy always has the camera). Grant loved this ride too, but Mommy was worn out from trying to hold Loren in her seat. I don't think she cared too much for the ride.

Daddy rode Bertie the Bus with both the kids because well...lets just say this ride wasn't pregnant-mommy friendly!

Grant was so excited to ride the swings so Chris rode once with Grant and then again with Loren. Yeah, Mommy didn't think spinning in circles would be a good thing as I get dizzy very easily while I am pregnant.

Trying to get the kids to sit still long enough to view the dolphin or whale show proved futile but we sure couldn't get them away from the tank where they could view the dolphins up close and personal. They thought it was so cool that the dolphins were right there and they could almost touch them if it weren't for the glass. We learned that our kids are definitely still a little too young to sit and watch shows, they have to be able to get up and move around. We only stayed at Six Flags til about 4:00 p.m - the kids were exhausted and well, when the kids aren't happy, neither are Mommy and Daddy. We agreed before even starting vacation that we weren't going to push our kids, when they were done with something, that was it. They were probably still a little too young for Six Flags. Grant was a bit disappointed because it seemed he was still too small to ride all the rides he wanted to ride (bumper cars, etc). They enjoyed seeing some of the animal exhibits and they had fun on the rides they were able to go on, so it was worth it. And....Mommy had survived an entire day without having contractions (guess getting that maternity belt the dr. suggested wasn't such a bad idea!!!)

DAY 2 VACATION - THE JELLY BELLY FACTORY

Before leaving the Fairfield/Vacaville area on our second day of vacation, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Jelly Belly Factory. The kids enjoyed the tour but the bummer was that on the weekends, they only do "silent tours." That means that none of the machines are going so you don't actually get to see the jelly bellys being made, you just get to hear about it and look at the machines, etc. At one point they turned on one robot and did a little demo. You would have thought Grant died and went to heaven. He was so excited and Loren just kept saying "more" as she did the sign for "more." It was so cute.

Everybody gets to wear these stylish hats on the tour, not just the kids!!!! After the tour, they give you a sample bag of assorted Jelly Belly's. Grant was happy to sample them until he bit into a few that didn't taste so good and next thing I know he is gagging and spitting them out in the stroller. Chris says he has his mothers gag reflex, haha!!!! He isn't so brave anymore and will only eat the red, pink or green ones. He is so funny. We would love to take them back during the week when they can actually see the production in full swing. Maybe someday!!!

DAY 3 - MONTEREY

We had a wonderful time in Monterey. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Seaside and actually had a partial ocean view from the suites window. We were glad we stayed there and had the suite. It gave the kids enough room to run around in the family room area, play, we could eat at the table and chairs and then there was still the separate bedroom. Grant loved riding up and down in the glass elevator and hey, that was free!!!

We had a great time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Grant loved looking at all the fish, unfortunately Loren just preferred to run around and have us chase her. We saw the jellyfish, penguins, lots of fish, sea otters and on and on. They have a large area where the kids can touch a bunch of different sea life but not to my surprise, Grant had no desire to touch anything.

After spending a few hours at the aquarium (yes...that is all they lasted), we went to the Monterey County Youth Museum. My friend Dawn highly recommended this place and said for a small fee, the kids would be entertained for quite awhile. Boy...was she right. They had all sorts of hands-on things for the kids to play with including Moon Sand, magnets, dress-up clothes galore, a full-service play kitchen stocked full of everything, a wooden house for hammering and working, giant logs for building, etc. etc. If you know Grant at all, you will know that he spent most of the time in a hard hat and working with tools in the house. He seriously had a blast, probably the most fun he had on vacation. Loren loved it too and had a great time.

Chris and I even managed to grab some snacks and take a peaceful ride on 17-mile drive while the kids napped in the car. We love that drive and used to do it long ago when we were dating (yes...long ago....like when we were 16 and 17 years old). It was so beautiful and it was fun to reminisce.