mom, look how strong am i

Everything my kids say cracks me up.
Tucker who speaks really well and understands so much still gets a lot of past tense words incorrect which is pretty cute. This morning he said, "Charlotte, it's not winneded, it's winned." I had to tell him it was actually won. You know, as in we won the race to get home even though Daddy pushed the speed button in his truck.

I love when Charlotte says, " You're kidding, right?" For some reason it is so cute. She still says her f's as w's which equals wancy, warty, wace, and so many other funny words. I picked her up from preschool yesterday and she said, " Mom, I learned a LOT more." She can write the first three letters of her name pretty well now, but she prefers to trace it. Her letter recognition is so much better, but she just doesn't pick it up like Tucker did. I am so happy that she loves, loves, loves school and I'm glad she gets another year of preschool.

Henry wants to talk on the phone to whoever I am talking to and the first thing he wants to say is motorcycle. He usually follows up with something about a helmet. He loves motorcycles. And Caillou (unfortunately). And construction trucks. And lipstick and shoes. I know. He says the best stuff. " Just kidding, Mom. It's just me." - after I pretend to be scared when he pretends to be a "procodile or a O-bot". He shows me his "muscles." Seems like such a big boy word. He says "no way, Jose" and finishes most of his sentences with "butt" just for fun. I follow up many words with the phrase "aronies", you know snuggle-ronies, weirdaronies, hugaronies. So anyway I called him Hankaronies the other day and he responded, " I not a ronies, I want some pepperonies." Well, okay.

Paisley doesn't say anything yet. But one look at that perfect, darling chubby face with the dimples is enough to fill me with joy every time. She does like to babble into her toy phone which is quite endearing too.

* I added a couple photos to my november's here post

My 501st post

So with Christmas coming up, I start thinking about all the things I would love to have. Some aren't that far out of reach. Here's hoping.

~I still want the green couch. Please Trent. He insists that me (and everyone who liked it on my blog) is crazy to want a 70's velvet green couch. But I want it bad.

~A rotary cutter and mat. Anyone have any favorite brands?

~Clothes. I've pretty much been pregnant or overweight for the last 3 years or so, so all my stuff is very flowy and it's all very old. With a couple exceptions like the walmart work out clothes and a couple of cheap shirts I bought. I'd happily take a gift certificate to TJMaxx, Ross, H&M, Forever 21 or anywhere with cute stuff that isn't a rip off. And a dress from shabbyapple.com please.

~.Shoes. I need shoes! I cannot remember the last time I got new shoes. I want black low top all star chucks. They have them at Target. I also need some good black heels and throw in some colored tights while your at it. I pick yellow.

~A guitar class for next semester at the local community college. Picture me on a stool strumming a song and singing along. Aaaah.

~Possibly a food processor. They have a coupon for them at Costco this month. Homemade salsa and vegetable purees to throw into my regular meals. Awesome.

~Contacts. I've been putting this off for months. Paisley still grabs my glasses off my face all day. I only have one pair and they are getting a little scratched up. Charlotte always tells me that I look pretty without my glasses.

There you have it. My Christmas list. What have you been wanting?

November's here

Last Friday we had a fun date with two other couples. I loved it. I can't find my camera at the moment (I am always trying to keep it out of reach of little hands), so I will post some pictures later. Saturday I got to meet Stephanie and Christian Nielson of the nie nie diologues (if you don't know her story ask Oprah) at Blissfest. It was great too.

Sunday we celebrated 2 birthdays, and Monday the cold hit our house. Snot galore around here. Raw noses.

Anyway, I love Novemer when we get to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have so much to be thankful for and I love focusing on my many many blessings.

Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for:
My wonderful husband
My happy and healthy children
My home
My friends
Music
My life

What are you thankful for today?

Smile

Tucker wrote this story. It reads:

On my way to the pumpkin patch, I saw a bat then we got to the path the bat stole a pumkin the seling man said o dear my pumkin got tooken but then the bat droped the pumkin I ran to it and picked it up I ran back and gave it to the seler man he was happy he put it in the wagon.

Reading this again this morning made me smile.

Halloween weekend '09

Thursday Charlotte wanted to wear her last year's pirate costume, now that we had aquired an eye patch, for her preschool party. After we picked her up we headed out to the dollar store to find Tucker a sword for his ninja costume. No luck at the first one. We had to have lunch next, so we found a Subway. The kids behaved and ate so well, I was so pleased. They were so darling crossing the parking lot with me. We made a train and chanted "chugga chugga choo choo!" We found another dollar store and scored with a 5 dollar ninja set for Tucker, then I let Charlotte and Hanky each choose a dollar item as well. We went to pay and I realized that they only accepted Visa cards, which unfortunately I do not have. I was unwilling to go look somewhere else and hoped I could find some cash in the car. I found a jar full of change and one dollar bill. I paid my $7.56 from it shamelessly.

That night Tucker's school had their Fall Fest, which was pretty fun. Paisley thought she was in heaven just running back and forth once we finally released her from the stroller, it was hilarious.

Friday was the ward Trunk or Treat which I am convinced is the best way to get candy. It's so nice to condense the walking when you usually end up holding small people. They also had a spook alley and chili cook off with corn bread and root beer. Surprisingly my chilli took the blue ribbon! I dressed as a witch complete with purple striped tights, but didn't get any pictures. That night Charlotte was a fairy princess.

Saturday we did our annual Halloween hay ride (pulled around the neighborhood by Bart's ranger) with Trent's brother and the other local P's. Dusti's chili was even more delicious than mine! Henry was having a ball! He followed Charlotte's lead as she ran squealing to each door and was so excited to ride on the ranger with Uncle Troy between houses. Everyone loved his Clifford costume and it was really cute when he would bark instead of saying trick or treat. He always remembered to say thank you and wave goodbye to each person. What a doll. Our girls were little devils that night. Unfortunately the paint seeped on the front of Paisley's onesie and I didn't make the tail long enough in the back. But I pretty much didn't care. I didn't dress up that night, but I did get asked if I was supposed to be Sarah Palin?

The pictures aren't great, but it's hard to worry about that when your hands are usually busy and your kids are always on the move.

Craigslist Couch Crushes

I love retro items, antiques, and modern. I wonder if I can figure out how to incorporate all the different styles into my house. I've been wanting a new couch for our front room and just to show you some of the many different styles I like, here are some of my craigslist couch crushes.

Which one do you think I should pick? Or do you think I'm crazy?

Family Fun at the Farm

Paisley even liked the bounce house.

The corn maze. It was so dark, the kids didn't like it much.

The hay bail maze for the kids.

Milking the fake cow and Tucker's new funny face for the camera.

My handsome husband feeling right at home.

All of us riding the barrel train. Trent wound up holding Henry so he would stay seated, so we had the whole fam!

I've been slacking. These are from our little trip to the farm last Monday.

Fall Break

The kids were sick with colds pretty much the whole week, so we mostly hung out at home. Paisley decided to see how smashed banana would work as hair styling product. It turned out pretty nicely.

Last Thursday Trent took the 3 "big kids" to Christopher Creek for the whole day. It was such a nice break. Do you know how easy it is to take one kid places. Really easy. We went to lunch with Karen and I even got to eat sushi, something I never get to do. I also got this dresser from craigslist. Exactly what I've been wanting to use for an entry table thing. I think it will look great once I oil it up. Friday my baby sister Claire spent the day and night with us while Mom was at Pioneer Trek. The kids loved having some extra entertainment. Trent was camping. Paisley enjoyed chilling in the baby swing on our trip to the park.

On another entirely unrelated note this is my final week of the four week boot camp. I am feeling good. I have lost 5 pounds and haven't measured inches yet, but I know that my body is changing. Anyway, now that my friend Kathi's husband's work schedule has changed she is going to sign up for the next four weeks and I am going to join her! I was sort of excited to finish boot camp, but then I was getting worried about ruining the progress I've made. I think 4 more weeks will be a good thing for me, even though it's hard.

Seen and Heard

Seen: A knot tying book on the back of our toilet and a length of rope tied around the bathroom doorknob. Oh the glamourous life of a scoutmasters wife!

Heard:
During one of our many shoe hunts I said to Charlotte, "Look under your bed, look in the bathroom, look everywhere you can think,"

Charlotte: "My thinking's not coming out."

I also love to hear Henry talk about Star Wars.
"Mom, I'n Yoda mom, Tuckas Obi Won."