HALLOWEEN

I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. There is something about getting dressed up that I love. CC wanted to be Tinker Bell this Halloween. My sister Michelle sent her most of the costume. However, I added long sleeves to an old t-shirt, so she could wear it under her costume. I sewed some green fleece together and covered her boots. Then we added a white fleece ball. She loved being Tinker Bell and as you can tell was way more excited about it than the super hero costume from last week.


She went to the ward trunker-treat. They trick-or-treated through the halls. Then they played some games in the cultural hall. She loved it. She said she played pumpkin bowling. She said, "Mom you know why I got all these suckers?" I said, "No." She said, "Because I bowled that pumpkin over and over till no one was left." I am not exactly sure what that meant but she had a huge grin on her face, so I am sure it was fun.
Nate took a picture of his friend James and their daughter. I love this costume. Her mom made it. Isn't it great.

MJ was sick all day. I am so sad. She had a fever of a hundred and four. (Maybe, from crawling through throw up. Yucky.) Even though she missed out on Halloween, at least she got to go to ZooBoo this year.
MJ didn't want me to do anything but hold her, so I couldn't cook dinner. Nate was kind and went and got pizza and soda. Here is CC sporting her after dinner mustache
Since Nate got to take CC to the ward activity, he let me take a break from caring for MJ and take CC trick-or-treating. It was a beautiful evening. There was only a slight chill. CC insisted on wearing her coat backwards with her hood facing out like a basket. Then she made people put her candy in her hood. She thought that was really fun. I kept trying to get her to say Thank you or trick-or-treat but she wouldn't do either. Then I suggest she should say it in Spanish. She then proclaimed at the top of her lungs, at the next two doors, gracias. When I pointed out if she was brave enough to say gracias then she could say thank you, she stooped saying gracias and went back to playing shy.

MORE LEAVES, PLEASE

My friend took all the pictures featured on the post. Thanks Jess.
I, Jess, and Shelly took our children for a walk on a nature trail in Schenley Park. It was long and up hill most of the way, but it was really fun. It was fun to be out looking at the leaves and breathing in the fresh brisk air. When we rounded one of the corners on our walk the children spied a large pile of leaves. The kids ran to and jumped into the leaves. They threw leaves up into the air.
They used the leaves as a blanket.
They buried themselves in the leaves.
When we finished the walk we went over to the park to play on the playground.
Our play ended aburptly when MJ crawled through some foul throw up. This really cute picture was taken right before I realized what had happened. Wow, it smelled bad. We rushed back to the car, with visions of H1N1 running through our heads, and put hand sanitizer on her. Then rushed home to throw her into the bath. I am the furthest thing from a germ-a-phobic person, but I am tired of being sick and tired of having sick kids.

FOR MY BEST GRANDMAS

Grandmas,

This is my favorite video of myself. I ask to watch it often. It was taken by my daddy when I was two and a half. I love it. I love you.

CC

I am so sad that my family and my husband's family will miss out on at least %95 of my children's, their grandchildren's, lives. I know there is a good chance we will never live close to them. I am often vividly aware of this fact. Moments, like the one caught on this tape, my family will never see. I guess that is why I have been compeled to blog more often lately. I am really grateful for this simple resource that connects me to the people I love.

TINKER BELL

Sierra was so excited about this costume my sweet sister Michelle sent to her. She had to tell her friends all about. She was especially elated to announce at the top of her lungs, "There were fruit snacks in there too." She thought it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen, even prettier than the sleeping beautiful dress. (She got the sleeping beautiful dress a year and a half ago when we went to St. George to visit Michelle. She proclaimed, "It was the most beautiful dress in her whole magical life.) She said, "It's a miracle. She grabbed it and ran to her bedroom. She has been living in the dress ever since.
Sorry Emma, I told her to wait till Halloween. Oh well, she got too excited.

MJ READING

MJ, loves this book. I believe Aunt Michelle sent it to Sierra when we first moved here. She loves animals. Enjoy.

DON'T BAG THE LEAVES?

Sierra can't resist running and launching into every pile of leaves she sees. As we were walking to the park she saw a man clearing the leaves off the sidewalk and placing them into black garbage bags. She was so upset. She said, "Mom what is that man doin' with all our leaves?"
MJ has been so content lately to go exploring on her own. She crawled all over the park and looked at leaves and pulled herself up to look around. She spied a dog and kept pointing and saying, "Br-Br-Br." She loves dogs.
(I know this is a very blurry picture but I had to inclute it.) Sierra loves Anne. The other day she said, "Mom is Aunt Jennifer my sister?" I said, "No, she is just my sister. She is your Aunt." She said, "Yeah, you are right mom, she is your sister. Anne is my sister, huh?" I said, "No, MJ is your sister." She said, "Anne can be my sister too." I said, "Yes, I guess Anne can be your sister too." (We are all sisters and brothers.)Also, the monkey bars have been a favorite attraction at the park lately. She has gotten really good and went all the way across them yesterday.
Sierra is always finding a way to hitch a ride on all of MJ's strollers. I love the casualness of it all. MJ is fine with her invading her space.
Isn't fall in Pittsburgh spectacular. I always compare it to fireworks. It explodes and then dies. It is starting to die and I am sad.

CC MAKES ME LAUGH

Today, she was eating her dip stck candy she got from ZOOBOO and said, "Mom this is a yummy thermometer."

On the day of MJ birthday, I and the girls were driving around picking up decorations for the party. CC was excited, but wanted it to be her birthday. I had given them gold fish to snack on in the car. This was the conversation I and CC had.

CC: Mom girls should get gold fish on there birthday, right?
ME: Yeah, girls can have gold fish on there birthday.
CC: Well, my birthday isn't for a really long time, huh?
ME: Nope, not for a really long times.
CC: Well, by the time I have a birthday these gold fish are going to be rot, huh mom?
ME: Yes, if we saved them for your birthday they would probably be rotten.
CC: Well, then today should be my birthday.
ME: No today shouldn't be your birthday. Today is MJ's birthday.
CC: I know, but the gold fish will be rot.

Yesterday, I and Sierra had a long talk about fairies. For your viewing pleasure.

LIFTING BURDENS

I love these words. I know that all who seek after truth, can and will receive the answers they hunger for, if they will pray and search the scriptures. I love truth. I know my Father-in-Heaven loves all of his children and has provided a plan for all of us.

SUPER HERO OR SUPER VILLIAN AT ZOOBOO

Look at the menacing eyes. I love these first two pictures. They are very Sierra.
I laughed at this picture. I said, "Sierra you don't look like a super hero you look like a very menacing nemesis." She was really thrilled she did a scarey face. She ran over and said. "Let me see."
She was still laughing at how great the picture was when I snapped this picture.
Jane the first ever lost girl.
Sierra really wanted to be Tinkerbell this year. I asked her what we should have her sister be. She said, "Jane, the lost girl." I asked her if she could be a lost boy or even Peter Pan or something that wasn't realated to the movie Return to Neverland. She said, "No." Here we have it folks, Jane the first lost girl. I can't even find a decent picture of her on the internet.(P.S. Sierra's tinker bell costume is in the mail, but it hasn't arrived yet.)
Sierra looking on at the polar bears.
Sierra hanging out in the Polar Bear cage.
Allison, Amber's daughter. MJ, and Sierra. I meet Amber through Shandra. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. We happened to run into eachother at ZOOBOO. It was so fun to catch up with her and her husband and have great company on this beatiful fall day.

TENNIS COURTS

Tennis courts are awesome for tricycle riding. They are rarely used during the day. CC loves to circle around and around as fast as she can. I will sometimes chase her around in circles until I am tired. Other times we will both chase our shadows. Today, I just sat on the bench and watched her ride and MJ crawl after her.Little MJ so happy to be out crawling around on a beautiful fall day. That is until, she discoverd the tricycle. CC decided to let her try taking it for a ride. She loved it. Then she wouldn't get off and she yelled at the top of her lungs when we tried to take her off. She wanted us to push her, but she couldn't lift up her legs and they kept getting caught in the wheels. Frustrating. I suggested we go inside. Now the little power wheels, Jennifer and Karalee bought CC when she turned one, is charging up for our next outing to the tennis courts.

NATURE IS IN HER SOUL

Sierra loves the outdoors she is continually asking if we can please have a house on the ground, so she can have a backyard and have a garden and a little house in a tree. I try to appease her by taking her for a walk or taking her to play outside at least once a day. As we were walking the other day, she pointed out that there were mushrooms growing out of the ground.
She found a lady bug on the ground. She caught it in her hands and brought it up to the apartment. She played (tortured) the ladybug for hours. She was so excited about her find.
Then the next day we went outside and there were thousands of ladybugs swarming under the building. She thought it was the coolest thing and ran around collecting lady bugs and placing them in the seat of her tricycle. In this picture you can almost see her expression she is overjoyed to be holding a ladybug.
Then she spotted a squirrel. She loved that.
Then as she was biking around the tennis courts she found another bug that looked a lot like a mosquito, although it wasn't. She was so excited. She said, "Dad will be so proud of me when he sees that I caught this bug for him." With that she plopped the bug on all of the tens of ladybugs she caught and gave them a really fast ride around the tennis courts for half an hour. She yelled, "The bugs are lovin' this ride, huh mom?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I took this picture yesterday. I think the pictures says it all. Happy Birthday baby girl. I am glad you had a good day. That cake was yummy, huh?

GLASSES

Look through glasses of water and laugh. CC suggested playing this game. Now whenever we are at the dinner table and she has a glass cup, she will hold it up to her face and laugh.

MJ, I LOVE YOU BEST THE WHOLE WORLD!

Jessica Thomas took this picture of MJ this summer. One of my favorites.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!
1. I love the way you crawl over to your dad, reach up so he will pick you up, and then bury your cute little head in his neck and just lay there forever.
2. I love the way you and your father crawl full speed at each other when he gets home from school. He screams, "New Kid." You screech and laugh so hard you can barely crawl.
3. I love it when you pick up Sierra's polly pockets and play with her. You even jabber when it is your turn to reply to Sierra's polly.
4. I love that you have slept through the night all week long.
5. I love that you are a little peacemaker and even when you are upset about something you will give in and stop throwing a fit without be compelled to.
6. I love that you are jealous and yell when daddy or CC hug me.
7. I love that you come and tell me when you have a messy diaper.
8. I love that you love books. You will sit and look at the pages of a book, or bring a book to me and screech because you want it read to you.
9. I love that you give too many sweet little kisses.
10. I love how you flutter your eyes and look down and pierce your lips, as your way of saying, no thank you.

FALL LEAVES

Yesterday, because I was still not feeling well, I needed to get outside. The leaves behind the apartment are spectacular. CC and I took pictures. She took the one of me and MJ laying in the leaves. Pretty good for a four year old. We had a lot of fun.











I climbed into a fall leave blanket.
I helped my mother build and make it.

Leaves dropped down like shimmering rain.
As we tossed them up and they fell again.

They tickeled my face and got caught in my hair.
As they fluttered about glidding down threw the air.

Beautiful leaves yellow, red, orange and brown.
Under my feet making a cracking and crunching sound.

We stacked the leaves high like a mountain peak.
I snuggled and laid my head down in the leaves.

My mother helped me build and make it.
My warm and cozy fall leave blanket.

by, Lisa McKnight