Thankful for Arianna

Even though I'm late on this, I'm still going to write how thankful I am for Arianna. 

Arianna is such a silly little one year old.  I love her big smile and how she knows that she is cute.  I love it when she pats your arm while you hold her.  I love her range of emotions.  She will go from the happiest little girl you have ever seen to throwing her head back despair.  I love how she tries so hard to get involved with her brothers even though they push her down. (we are working on this)  I love how she lights up when she sees anyone she knows. 

She is growing and changing so much and so fast.  I can't believe she is a one year old!  I'm so blessed to have three wonderful children!

Thankful for Levi

With just two days until Thanksgiving I am truly trying to be grateful for the blessings that I have.  One of those blessings is Levi.  Levi can be the happiest little boy you have ever seen.  His smile can light up a dark room and bring joy to any ones heart.  He can also be the whinniest little boy you have ever seen as well.  But I'm going to focus on the good stuff. lol  I love his little face and his beautiful blue eyes.  I love how he can walk out of his room in the morning and say "good mornin' mommy".  I love how he came up with the "daddy, that's a funny word".  I love that every time I give him fluoride drop he gets so excited and says "that's yucky".

I love how active he is.  Watching Levi trying to keep up with his big brother is so cute.  The fact that he can peddle a trike one year earlier than his brother is very impressive.  He is just so determined to keep up with his big brother in everything. 

I love that he came up with Arianna's nick name, Nana. Even though it wasn't on purpose just sheer lack of pronunciation I still love it. I think it so funny that he still calls her baby instead of Nana most of the time. 

Levi has no fear what so ever!!  Just this morning Levi and Elliot were jumping off the couch into blankets saying "I'm going to kill myself".  NOT because they actually want to kill themselves. Just because anytime they do something crazy I tell them they are going to kill themselves by doing that act.  I do wish he would have some fear instead of telling me "mom, this isn't a good idea".  Quickly followed by him doing whatever might hurt him. 

I love that he can be kind.  He LOVES to cuddle.  Before I had Arianna, I would hold Levi every morning while watching cartoons.  Now I take my cuddle time when I can.  He love to give hugs and kisses.  I love that he helps Arianna up when she falls down. I love it when he shears with Elliot. 

I also enjoy watching him grow up.  I already miss his mispronunciations of words.  Such as yogurt, he used to call it O-gurt.  I would actually have him say yo then gurt and when we would try to put them together it still came out O-gurt. 

I am so grateful for this crazy cute, whining, funny, smiley, lovable little by named Levi.  Mommy loves you Levi!

Thankful for Elliot

Since this is the week of Thanksgiving I have decided that I should write what I'm thankful for.  I figured I could start my list with my kids from oldest to youngest. 

I am so thankful that I have a wonderful, funny, silly, outgoing, energetic, curious, fun loving boy named Elliot.  Elliot has the most wonderful heart and I love him so much.  I love how caring he can be.  Elliot will help Arianna play with toys, help Levi learn new things..."Levi say the days of the week.. Monday, Tuesday...."  I love that he is so curious but wish it wasn't always snakes.  He can sit for a 1/2 hour to and hour watching snake videos with Casey and just be mesmerized! Then following the videos get asked 20 question about the snakes like...Do anacondas bite you or just squeeze you? If a black mamba and a cobra fought who would win? Why do snakes have fangs? All very valid questions..

I also love how silly he can be, his laugh is infections. He and Levi like to make up fake words and call them funny words.  I also love how he jokes with all of his family by calling his uncles girl names.  Such as calling uncle Tim-Timberlina and Casey-Cassie. 

I love how when he gets done from preschool he runs to me calling me mommy and gives me a big hug.  Even though he doesn't want me to help out in Pre-school because pre-school is for kids and not for Mommy.  I love how he comes out in the morning and says how he got good sleep.  I also find humor in all of his "don't never' comments.  Such as "you don't never put Arianna in the over" "you don't never put Arianna in a snakes mouth" 

I am grateful for this boy I named Elliot and how wonderful of a little man he has become.  Even more than that, I'm grateful God allowed me to be his mommy. 

Naps, they aren't just for kids

Nap time is one of those glorious things that happen each day that you look forward too right when you wake up.  Thats if the nap time goes according to plan....  In my imagination my children would play wonderfully all day long.  Get along great, learn lots, say funny things and when it was time for nap and bed time they would be like... ok mommy we will go to sleep, love you.  That would be the end of it.  No running out of their rooms. No "I have to go potty" for the um-teenth time.  No, I'm afraid of Goliath or any other thing.  Just go to bed, and sleep...

I wish there was a manual that came with each child that instructed you to do ABC if XYZ happens.  Bed time used to be the only time I had to actually fight with my kids to go down.  Now I'm the lucky one where I get to fight two times a day.  But its a battle worth fighting! 

Nap time for a stay at home mom is like your own little me time. It gives you a little time with out the kids while being able to get a few things down that would take 3xs as long if the kids were up.  Or catch up on anything at all you want to do.  Read a book, write a letter, watch a show, do a craft, do some deep cleaning or my favorite sometimes...sleep!  Its my one time in my day where I feel like I can take a break and relax. 

I'm not saying I don't love my kids, I do more than life itself.  I just wish they would understand how important nap time is for the both of us.  One day, I'll inform them of how hard they made nap and bed time.  But for now, I'll concentrate on how much I love their little smiling faces and the funny reasons why they can't go to sleep. 

Catching up

A lot has happened since I wrote last.  I know I should do a better job of keeping up with this so I have a record of what happens... I'll do a better job.  Ok, I'll rephrase that... I'll try and do a better job.

In a blur...  Elliot started Pre-school and is doing great!!!!  He loves show and tell and really seems to enjoy going.  Except today, he threw a fit about not wanting to go until we get there and see all of his friends.  "MOMMY!  I NEED TO HURRY AND SEE MY FRIENDS!!!" 

We went trick-or-treating and the kids had a BLAST!!!!  Somehow going around one full block, door to door with a 4 year old and a two year old takes one hour.  No joke, one FULL hour.  They made bank on their candy and had a great time until they got scared at one house.  I really with I could of had a video tape of this.  Lets just set it up...  Its about 6 pm (its dark now at 6) the boys walk up to the door and ring the door bell.  Someone opens the door and fog rushes out making it hard to see.  A figure pokes their head out with a scary mask on and says BOO!  No joke, Elliot takes one look at this figure and starts booking down the stairs and heading for the street.  Casey catches his and the lady takes off the mask and says hi.  Levi on the other hand is trying to climb my legs as I'm trying to tell him its just a lady.  Every house after that we got asked the question,   "are we going to get scared?"  Lucky for us aunt Tiffy was able to join us with our trick-or-treating. 

Arianna has started crawling.  I still can't believe I haven't typed something up since she started crawling!!! It feels like she has been doing this forever.  She goes where ever she wants to go and gets into almost anything she wants to. Her favorite thing to do is to change the volume on the stereo.  Boy does she get excited when the volume goes WAY up.  You will call her name and she will just look at you and smile. 

Levi has decided that saying naughty words is the new cool thing to do.  I know they aren't real naughty words but coming out of a little two year old I don't really care for them.  He will try any way he can to work in the word stupid and shut up.  He could be singing the ABC's and some how stupid makes its way into the song.  I even went as far as to touch his mouth with a bar of soap... BACK FIRE!!  Not only did I get reprimanded by Elliot for doing something so terrible to his brother but I also was informed by Levi that its not nice to put soap in peoples mouths.  We are still working on this......daily... hourly...by the minute


We got family pictures done!!!  I have been wanting to do this forever!!!  The lady that took them for us was wonderful.  She did such a great job and I truly love the pictures.  The process in which getting the pictures wasn't as beautiful as the pictures but I'll take it. 

First snow of the year just fell today!  You had better believe my two crazy boys were out in full gear by 8 am.  Elliot informed me it was Christmas since there was snow!  He as a little saddened that it wasn't Christmas but was still happy that there was snow to play in. 

Potty training....  is probably one of my least favorite things to do.  I want so badly for Levi to get this but he just is so stubborn!  We are to the point were if he wears underpants or doesn't have a diaper on he will go to the bathroom 80% of the time.  The other 20% ends up on the floor, chair, couch, bed you name it, its been soiled.  He also has the bladder the size of a chipmunk.  This boy will go to the bathroom and not even 30 min later have to go again.  I just happy that we have gotten past the point of crying when we say its time to go potty. Now he is trying on his own. 

So I think I'm pretty caught up as of now.  I'll try and keep this more up-to-date so I have a record for myself. 

Hockey and touch a truck

As a girl I never understood the fascination with BIG truck, tractors and pretty much anything really loud until I had two boys.  Elliot and Levi are ALL BOY and a little extra BOY added in.  So this weekend we decided to make it a all about boy stuff weekend.  We started it off with the kids first hockey game. 

I had forgotten how LOUD these games are!!  I had Elliot sitting next to me covering his ears and Levi saying "LOUD MOMMY!"  Once we got over the initial shock of how loud it was it was game time.  I was really surprised at how well the kids did.  They enjoyed watching the guys skate fast and also wondered why they were hitting each other. :) 

Then on Saturday morning we went to touch a truck.  This is pretty much a boys dream come true.  They were able to sit in a fire truck, dump truck, ambulance, helicopter, semi truck, cement mixer and play on a bouncy toy.  Fun?  I think so!

Kids say the darnedest things

Growing up I still remember some of the silly things my siblings used to say. Now having three kids and two of them talking, I have some great material to work with.


Elliot:
I really wish I could get inside of Elliot's head and figure out how he comes up with this stuff.  Such as calling Levi dude( which is cool but the progression is a little crazy) then it was duddey, and onto dooshy.  Somehow it also transitioned into pooch and poochy. (don't ask, I don't have any idea how he came up with it) Not only that but he just gets a little lazy finishing words like saying broth instead of brother. You know because it's just so had to do this. He loves his little sister and wouldn't want to leave her out to the name changing game. So instead of calling her nona he calls her non. You just can't make his stuff up.

Take this video for example. He makes up a word all on his own and even makes a definition for it.

Levi:
This little dude has just really changed the last few months. He talks like a champ and is just so big. He has to try and do everything his brother does. While driving in the car he always wants to talk to Elliot but Elliot doesn't always want to talk with him so..... Levi will just start screaming his name. ELLIOT, ELLIOT, ELLIOT!!!!  E, E, EEEEEEE, brother!!!!!! We normally have to intervene and assist with the little screamer but it still makes me laugh.  He also likes to ask what you are doing... all the time.  One day on the way home he began to yell mommy.  I answered, multiple times followed by.. mommy, what ya doin? Nothing?  I couldn't stop laughing. 

I love my kids more than I can say, I'm just so glad they are funny too.   

The Fair

This weekend we went to the fair. Sometimes I think taking three kids out to do anything is just so much work! I'm just so blessed that we have family to that helps us out in every way you can imagine.

 
To start our trip to the fair our stroller broke! UGH!!! Good thing we had two sets of Grandparents and an aunt and uncle to help carry the kids around.

 
We looked around a little at some animals and then what do you think we went and looked at? TRACTORS!!!! I honestly can't think of anyone more obsessed with tractors than my two boys. I would even go as far to say they are MORE obsessed with tractors than Casey is with a Viper.

 

After a few minutes getting on tractors we went and visited uncle Rawley at the fire truck. They were able to climb in and look around with some other kids. Then we went and watched mutton busting. If you don't know what that is, well you’re missing out. It's where kids aged 4-6 get on sheep and ride them as long as they can. It really is pretty funny to watch these poor kids be tortured like this but I couldn't take my eyes off it! Elliot got so into it that he wanted to try it! (don't worry I didn't abuse my child this year and enter him into the ride of his life)

Then it came time for food. Well Elliot decided he didn't need to eat and wanted to wait in line for 35 min to ride this.

 Once they worked up and appetite we headed to the food court to munch on some fair food. There is nothing quite like fair food. The grease, dirty, salt, pretty much just bad all around for you food. They even had deep-fried butter! First, how do you deep-fried butter? Secondly, who eats plain butter?

 
We rode a few rides, looked at tractors a few more times then headed home to call it a day. Hats off to another year at the Spokane County Fair

Spokefest

Its official, I have a rider!  On September 9, 2012 Elliot rode in his first bike race and he did awesome!!!  It was a one mile loop around Riverfront Park and Elliot decided to make it a two mile loop by going a second time around.  

When I think about taking off my training wheels as a kid I think of crashing a lot. Getting mad at my mom for letting go of the bike as I would peddle as hard as I could only making it a few feet until I fell once again.  Fortunately for Elliot he didn't have the same experience as I did and just took right off on his bike.  He practiced first in the back yard so it was a softer fall but he really didn't need it.  Just a few short weeks after taking off his training wheels my little dude is riding his first race!!!  Talk about a fast learning curve. 

Waiting in line for the race to begin wasn't all that fun but but once we go doing it was game on.  He had every intention of catching up to the other kids ridding their bikes and passing them. 

Lucky for us we are surrounded by family so we had lots of people out to cheer on Elliot as he passed by other kids on their bikes. 

Casey had to work the first aid tent but was able to come over and watch Elliot get started and finish the first time around. 

Cat tales

 

Lions, tigers and bears OH MY!!!!! 

 

Casey, my mom and me were able ot take the kids to Cat tales and see the big cats!!!

This white tiger is soooooo pretty! 

It has quite the temper too!  We got there right when it opened and I believe he woke up on the wrong side to the bed.  He actually ran and jumped up on the fence at us.  Elliot informed the workers there that the white tiger wanted to eat him.  Funny thing is… it probably did.

 

At the firestation

There are a few things my boys LOVE and fire trucks are one of them. Uncle Rawley let us come out and visit him at the fire station and the boy loved it. Leading up to this event the boys were coming up with reasons why a fire truck would need to come to the house. Such as, there is a cat in the tree, the kitchen is on fire, they need to see uncle Rawley, the grass looks thirsty and a few more that I can't remember but they were good.

They loved getting to sit and "drive" the fire truck, hold a fire hose and making sure the ladder worked. 

Grandparent patience

I'm not sure who came up with the saying patience is a virtue but I think that getting things done when you ask for them to be completed is a better example of a virtue. I'm blessed that all the grandparents seem to have an abundance of patience that I don't seem to have. I think it must be because they are on round two of the children cycle and know that things just happen. Somehow the grandparents can ALMOST giggle at anything the kids do and chalk it up to... that’s a kid for ya.

 
I'm also blessed that the grandparents help steer these little mess makers in the right direction so they can learn right from wrong. Grandparents just seem to have a little extra coolness when it comes to disciplining, redirecting, getting kids to eat their dinner that parents (or just me) don't have. I'm so happy that God allowed us to move back to Spokane so that my kids can grow up knowing their Grandparents.

A day at Greenbluff

There are a few things you must do/see if you ever come to Spokane and one of those would be going to Greenbluff. It is probably one of the prettiest places you can go and have some good old fashioned fun. The occasion for this visit was peach festival! So we pack up the van and bribed Bryce into join us on our adventure.  We arrive at our destination and are greeted by Leo the largest dog I have ever seen!  I mean this dog could eat Arianna whole!!! Luckily for us he is as gentle as he is big.

 

 

We took a ride on the “fruitloop express” and set out to find our peaches.  They informed us that we were allowed to eat a peach while we were picking.  I’m not sure they had the idea of two little boys picking peaches off trees, taking a bite, throwing it on the grown and going for another one. 

 

 

After we gathered up our goods we go back on the “fruitloop express” and headed back to pay for the peaches.  While Bryce and Casey paid I took the kids to the pea pit.  This a big box filled with dried peas that the kids just LOVE to play in.

 

 

After that the boys got to sit on the “wiggly worm” tractor ride for a few minutes and then we headed home to eat our abundance of peaches. All in all it was a fun filled day.      

The anti bedtime boys

I love my boys more than I can describe on paper and I think they are the crazies little dudes out there. When it comes to bedtime they are deceiving little suckers. They will take a nice bath, have a treat, and sit down read a book, then its bed time.....and then somehow they get a bolt of energy and could run a marathon. I wouldn't mind if they would just lie in bed and talked for a little, maybe even ticked each other for a few minutes. That’s not my boys! They run out of the room and hide in Rex and Marcy's room, run into the bathroom and hide, come out into the living room and now jumping on the beds. Levi even got a bedtime eye injury from jumping on the bed.  Grandpa Rex had to put padding on the posts of the bed so they wouldn’t cause any lasting damage from there extreme bed jumping.  Oh the joys of having two crazy boys!