HALLOWEEN through THE YEARS

I can't wait for Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. I love it. I was just contemplating on what the girls are going to be for Halloween. Yes, I decide on costumes the day before. Here is a look back on Halloween over the past four years. Sierra as a fairy princesses, Halloween of '08.
Sierra as a clown, Halloween of '07.
Sierra as Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ, Halloween of '06.
Sierra as a rag doll, Halloween of '05.

SPECIES

Yesterday MJ and CC were playing kitchen in CC's room. They wanted me to lay on the bed and they were going to make me species. I asked Sierra, "What is species?" Sierra said, "Species is just food that is really healthy for your body."
MJ stealing a little species from out of my pot. (4 year old, species = 30 year old, grapes) As a mother, it is so fun to watch your children play together.

SICK AGAIN

Well, we are sick again. I seem to feel worse and worse every day. I have a sore throat and a head cold. Yucky. The girls both have it too and yesterday Nate wolk up with it. We couldn't go to church. We were locked up all day in the house. We decided to escape to the park for some fresh air.
The leaves were spectacular. I love fall in Pittsburgh.
We brought some stale bread to feed the ducks. I yelled, "Sierra give me a cheese." I may have startled all the ducks. They escaped to the opposite side of the pond. I may have irritated a couple of mothers that were there feeding the ducks with there kids too.
MJ enjoyed holding the bread bag for her sister until she realized there were ducks close by.
Then I had to fight her to keep her from jumping into the pond. She wanted to get her very own duck and love it like a stuffed animal. She loves live animals as much as stuffed. She currently calls all dogs that she sees, woof. She lunges for dogs as well.
Hung Jung's husband and daughter Kaylee ended up stoping at the pond at the exact time we did. It seems like everywhere I go I end up meeting up with someone from the ward unintentionally. I love it.
Sierra insisted on bringing her baby doll and carried it around with her. She said, "I have to take her with me because I can't leave her at home. She will be sad if I left her. She might get hungry and I have to feed her my breast if she gets hungry, so I have to bring her. Yeah, that's right mom. Huh? Yeah." Then she almost left her at the pond twice. I kept saying, "Are you forgetting something?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

I love this little girl who spent an hour Saturday making this beautiful banner for her father's birthday. I love the man who has completed my life and given me the two best gifts in the world. I love my little family. Happy 32nd babe! I love you!

DRESS, BEAUTIFUL DRESS

I love this dress. Ahhhh. One of the projects I worked on while I was in Utah.

GOOD NIGHT SIERRA.

Sierra has an really crazy bedtime routine.

1. Daddy brushes her teeth. (Last night he used an explorer to look for cavities when he was done.) Kind of fun to have your Dentist brush your teeth every night. She likes to race Madison. She will get her sister her tooth brush and then take her tooth brush to her dad. Then the race begins.
2. Then potty.
3. Then I will sit at the foot of her bed and play her a few primary songs on my flute. (This has become a tradition as of this week.)
4. Then prayer.
5. Then a drink, which stays next to her bed.
5. Then I will read her three stories. Sometimes I pick the shortest stories on the shelf, just to get through it quickly. Then other times I will read her long stories.
6. Then she wants me to rub her back. I will rub her back for a few minutes and then leave and tell her if she is good and tries to go to sleep and thinks about good things, I will come back and rub her again. I set the timer for ten minutes. When it goes off, I go back and rub her for a minute longer. Then I tell her again to be good and I time the timer again. Usually this happens two or three times and then she is out.(Since I started rubbing her back there has been less references to Big Minnie, and Monsters, and Mean People. With all the terrors she has and her imagination it used to take longer to get her to bed minus the rubbing, so rubbing her back has been an easier alternative.)

If the routine is interrupted in anyway. She won't go to sleep. I promise. It takes about an hour from start to finish. Not too bad.

ALOPECIA, POLLY POCKET

Hang in there alopecia, Cinderella, Polly Pocket, doll. I don't know why but after Sierra went to bed I found her Cinderella Polly barley hangin' on. I just got such a chuckle out of it.

Her hair is missing because she ripped it off. I asked her why. She said, "I just wanted to see what was under it? Now can you fix it." I still haven't picked up the super glue to repair her. Sad.

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

Today, once again MJ got a hold of Nate's greasy bike chain. She had grease all over her and all over the carpet. I spent a good twenty minutes cleaning her up and cleaning the carpet. I was so frustrated. I have a pair of pants that have been ruined by that bike chain. CC has a skirt that has been destroyed and MJ's new footie pajamas have bike grease on them. I was so irritated. I know it isn't Nate's fault we don't have a garage and we live in this high rise, but I was angry and in the heat of the moment I grunted to MJ, "I am going to kill your father." Sierra overheard and immediately inquired, "How are you going to kill him mom?" I said, "I didn't mean it literally, I was just frustrated."

Later that night at the kitchen table CC offered the prayer over the food and said, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Madison. Thank you for the food. Thank you for my mom and dad. Bless my mom not to kill my dad. In the name of Jesus Christ amen." As I opened my eyes I peaked over at Nate, he lifted his eyebrows and said, "Good prayer Squirmage." (Good lesson for me.)

HAIrW

Hair has been my children's blankie or lovie since they were born. They love hair. They love to play with hair. Since both of them were born they have gravitated to my hair. While I nursed them they played with pieces of it.

One time I cut of my hair really short hoping Sierra would give up the habit but it just made it worse. She would scream unless I kinked my head to one side all day.

The first year we lived in Pittsburgh we made a trip to see my Uncle and Aunt in Virginia for Thanksgiving. Sierra fussed and/or screamed most of the trip until Nate had a brilliant (or not so brilliant) idea, "Give her the hair!" he said. I reclined my seat until my head rested in her lap and she played with/pulled my hair all the way and was perfectly content.

Sierra use to call hair, hai(r)w which I thought was adorable.

Once Sierra grew hair of her own she started playing with it. Whenever she is nervous, upset, embarrassed, or bored, she will play with her hair.

Funny enough MJ, almost out of the womb, gravitated to my hair too. I often wonder why this was so. Did she see her sister playing with her hair? Is my hair so soft and luxurious that it would be almost impossible to resist touching it when you are so close to me for an extended period of time? :)

I love to hear about what other kids do. What do/did your children love? What was their comfort lovie?

REILLY's PUMPKIN PATCH

Driving to Reiley's pumpkin patch was so beautiful. I kept holding up the camera and randomly clicking. I couldn't take my eye off the road but I wanted to get a shot of the gorgeousness.
Claire was so beautiful in her pink coat. I love her cheesy grin. I asked her to give me a cheese, she thought I wanted her snack. She handed me one of her cheese bits, so cute to share. She is waiting outside the van for her mom to gather her things.
Waiting in line to pay for the hay ride.
Sierra said, "Yuck mom that dog stinks so bad." He really did smell awful.
Friends on the hay ride.
Friends on the hay ride.
Friends on the hay ride.
Sierra picked out the pumpkin she wanted right away.
Friends spending a little more time picking out the best pumpkin.
MJ hanging out in the pumpkin patch.
MJ excited to be in the dirt in the pumpkin patch.
Sierra walking around in the corn field looking for corn.
MJ, Sierra and their little friend were climbing these large pieces of wood that looked like they were pulled from an old ark. Pretty cool.
More ark.
Laughing with friends on a beautiful fall day.
Sierra said, "Yuck mom. I don't want to pet those animals because there are bugs hiding in their skin."

SUNDAY

"Sierra, hurry up and eat your cereal or we are going to be late for church." Every Sunday I am rushing to get everyone out the door. Sierra is always the slowest at eating her breakfast on Sunday morning.

Sierra said she had a really fun dream last night. She was driving a log (no not a typo, a log, not a car). She was driving all her friends; Chase, Carter, Andrew, Hailey, and Jennifer and Brooklynn. They were all in the log. Madison was in the log too, but not mom just Maddie Tads. She drove them to the Telephone World. They all got to call somebody. She said, "Mom, that was a really good dream. Huh?" This is the first time Sierra has told me about a good dream she has had. Maybe we are turning a corner.

Three little girls dancing in princess dresses on a Sunday afternoon. We are so grateful to have Shandra and her girls in our lives. She invited us over to Sunday dinner and the girls had so much fun. Shandra is definitely like a sister to me. When I am over there it is like I am visiting Michelle and Sierra is off playing with Grace and Emma. I feel so blessed to have family in Pittsburgh.

Sierra perusing through a Halloween Costume magazine as we head back home. She wants to be Tinker Bell for Halloween. We are working either on coming up with a Tinker Bell costume or changing her mind.

CELESTE

Celeste came into town and actually stayed at our house. I was so happy. She is such a good friend and inspires me in so many ways. I really love her. I miss her. We went for a walk on one of the park trails and then meet Hailey at the Science Center and played and then watched "The Big Dam Beaver Movie." I had to say it.... ha. Madison was getting a kick out of the Beavers. She kept laughing and bouncing her little body and talking to the beavers. Her eyes were glued to the screen until it was over. I was really inspired by the Beavers. Beavers are really cool creatures. They work so hard. They mate for life. I really enjoyed the movie too. I will miss you Celeste until we see you again.

DRAWING with DAD

As a family we went to IKEA and bought a circle of butcher paper. Sierra goes through so much paper and we thought this would be a good way to decrease our printer paper consumption. She loved it. She said, "I can create a whole world on this paper mom." She has spent the last few days drawing many worlds. Here is a picture her and her father colaborated on. I suddenly know where she gets all her talent from.
MJ spent twenty minutes playing with the tinker bell pez dispenser the other day.

Today at the park....
Today was a beautiful day, so I took the girls to the park. They had a lot of fun and it was suprisingly warm. Look at how Sierra rides on the stroller. We don't have a double stroller so she faces her sister and sits on the foot rest. It works.

KLINGON

She has barley let me put her down for the last two day. I know she has teeth coming in, but I really would like to have some space. Plus, I would really like to finish cleaning my house at a regular pace, not slow motion. All in due time. As a young mother I am suppose to enjoy these fleating moments... right?See the mess in the background. One day at a time right?