Befores and Afters

okay just going with the theme of my title. Lizzy has been trying over the last couple months to ride her bike with no training wheels. Little by little she was getting better, then one day she just did it and took off. I'm so proud of my little five year old. in her own words, "you know how i got better at that, is i just try and try until i get better to do the two wheels all by myself"
















I've been trying to figure out what i wanted to do in our backyard and finally thought of doing a patch of synthetic grass with a play house on it. So if went to work looking on Craigslist and was happy to find this beauty.... all it needed was some paint. And i talked him down to $100. Which is a steal, cause i looked everywhere and these things are expensive. So now i just need to get my kids to play in it:)

before:















after:
















I've been wanted in donate my hair to locks of Love for a while. Usually i grow it pretty long and then chop it before its enough to donate, but this time i lasted. So here is my before and after (10 inches). Also i thought it was cute, the next sunday i went to church and one of lizzy's friends had just chopped her hair and donated it too!
before:














after:















This isn't really a before and after, but we've been having a lot of fun jumping and racing on these bouncey balls. lizzy just came in and wants me to add," Caleb is my favorite pal, I see him everyday" She is in one of her sweet moments. verses earlier when she was telling CJ and I we are the meanest mom and dad in the whole world. But all she needed was a time out and cool down period and she is a sweet girl again.

Birthday time again

So Lizzy had been talking about leprechauns for weeks before st. patrick's day from preschool.
So i figured no chance i'd forget. But come March 17th, didn't give it a second thought. Luckily we decided to take a quick walk to the neighbor right before preschool. The kids love to feed the neighbors dog and it is often where we go on our walks. When we got there, She said come here, and pinched Lizzy and I. Then gave us the green shamrock headband. I was so greatful i found out that way and didn't send lizzy to school up prepared. She may not have let me live it down. I actually just happened to dress Caleb in this shirt though.



















Caleb's had a Birthday and turned TWO! Wow time has gone so fast. We went swimming during the day, then came home and dad took him around the yard for a Birthday bike ride. Grandma Mary called to sing Happy Birthday and then our friends came to have cake and Ice cream with us. I think it turned out to be a good day!













Caleb has gotten into bouncing on this ball and it is so funny to see him do it. He gets going pretty fast then flies off. hopefully nothing tragic will happen.

























Okay this is a random picture, but had to post Lizzy and Caleb doing ballet together. He loves to dress in her dance clothes, it really is so cute.

Catch up

Seems i am always trying to catch up. So here are some of the latest.

In March we were lucky to have Disneyland tickets given to us, so we had to take the chance and go. We did have fun, but there are way to many people at Disneyland. We started in Fantasyland and Toon town. Also the first mistake, that's where all the kids and most the people are. It just took longer to get through stuff. After lunch we had a lot more fun in Tomorrowland on Lizzy's favorite ride Buzz light year. She went on it 3 or 4 times. And that was the only ride you could pretty much just walk on. CJ took her on Space Mountain because her cousin Halle had just gone and said it was her favorite. Poor Lizzy was so scared and screamed the whole time. Unfortunately not to much after that i took her on another coaster (I was thinking would be much slower, but remembered wrong and again she was upset and screaming.) So no more roller coasters for Lizzy for the day. We did go on the jungle cruise which we loved. It was slow and on a boat. Both kids loved it. We are getting the hang of it, and maybe next time will know all the good stuff to hit.


We had to search for hot dogs, about the only thing Lizzy will eat out. And that one was a corn dog, she had to rip the bread off.











The kids loved the carousel.







We got Caleb to nap in his Stroller, after kicking and screaming. But worth it.
The kids also loved the tea cups, which i do not care for (i get pretty motion sick). i went with them once and dad had to the others.








Here they are relaxing on Minnie's bed.

Here's to the moms out there!

Well i just sat down and felt like i needed to write a post. I haven't quite decided how dedicated i am to posting on my blog, but i don't keep a journal either, so i figure i need to have some recollection of thoughts, feelings, and about my family as we are today. So i guess thats why i felt a need to write some stuff. First off, fair warning, i've had a long week (long hours) with my sweet kids and am at the end of my patience rope. I've snapped a few times, which i know is normal, but i feel bad doing it, but sometimes i feel like i can't control my need to get the frustration i feel out of my body. But after i do yell, or throw my tantrum, i look at my kids and they are either scared of what i did and start crying more from their need to feel love, or they look hurt. When i watch other people treating their kids badly, i have to admit i do judge and think i would never do that. (granted i never would in public, but i often think of this after i do something not so nice at home.) Thankfully kids are very forgiving and loving. They easily love me again soon! I do recognize I have the hardest and most rewarding job, although rewarding is in the times i get to see them learn and grow, not necessarily because I think they have the slightest idea how much time and energy i put toward them. Although as i've had my quiet moments of feeling used and taken advantage of, I think of my mom, and how I did this to her to. So THANK YOU MOM for everything you did for me whether i knew it or not. I know i was blessed to have you for my mom. And someday my kids will understand these feeling to when they are parents. (although only the girls will really understand the mom thing) not discounting my hubby or dads at all, because i could not do it with out mine. I'm so grateful he works hard so we can have the things we need)) but I'm talking about the all day, everyday with the kids thing right now.

So last weekend my parents came to visit and they took my kids for the night, so CJ and i got a hotel and stayed in san diego for the night. We went to El Torito for dinner, and watched 'Unknown" and SLEPT IN, and was not woken by kids in the night. We even had tickets to see BYU and SDSU. Everything was perfect, and BYU even won, so that topped it off. We had a great getaway! Then we enjoyed a nice weekend with my parents when we got back. My sister is getting married, so we looked around for places to have her wedding. My kids just adore my parents and had so much fun chasing, playing, and bugging grandma and grandpa. It was so nice to see them want someone besides me to play with. Oh how i wish they lived closer! Caleb is even a very big momma's boy and he adores my mom and would go everywhere with her, he even followed grandpa around which is huge! So, it was kinda like post vacation this week. We had such a great weekend, then this week has been long and painful trying to get back to normal life. We also got colds which has not helped at all!

I guess to top off the week, my 30th birthday is tomorrow. I'm not sure if this tops off the bad week or will start a good week.... I'll just leave it at that for now.

The kids are just growing leaps and bounds. 5 and almost 2. So hard to believe how fast time has gone. We kind of want more kids in the long run, but i just don't know if i can handle more than 2 crazy, dramatic, and energetic kids. I'm open to advice????

Well, I'll leave some pics to enjoy..

My family that makes it all worth it.











My kiddos wishing Gma Mary farewell as she leaves for her mission.





















I helped throw a baby shower and attempted my first diaper cake, Lizzy liked it so much, she made her own, i helped a little but she rolled each diaper on her own, and got sticks to keep it together and of course found the toys. I was really impressed she stuck to it, because i really wasn't encouraging it, as i was trying to get ready for the party.

Two recessives must make a dominant

Well it must be true cause its happened twice now. Both our parents say CJ and I were both mellow, relaxed, and rather calm children. So all i can figure is the stubborn, aggressive gene in both of us was passed on to our children and because they got both recessive that made it a dominant trait our kiddos. Does that make since? Don't know, but its all i can figure.
Until now, I just thought Lizzy was going to be our independent, opinionated, determined child, but as Caleb develops his personality- He is giving Lizzy a run for that title. Some days i just can't believe how adamant and stubborn they can be.
Tonight we ate dinner at Grandma Mary's and after Caleb was done he whined, so we got him out of the highchair and then he just stared crying and pointing back to his chair, after trying to put him back in, give him food, drink, nothing worked, Finally Gma said last night when she was watching him he wanted to do it himself. So sure enough i took off the tray and he stopped crying and crawled down HIMSELF. Seriously! really!
Then we got home and since they both fell asleep in the car on the way home, we carried them in, I took Lizzy to the bathroom, where she whined and cried the whole time, that she wanted to put the sticker on the window, and she was so tired, etc.....(who knows what else) I went to get some pj's for her. When i came back she kicked and said noooooo those ones are too hot, so i had to go back in the other room and get more. Then after getting her dressed, she was cold and wanted a warm blanket, I put what she believes are cold blankets (non-fleece) on and she kicked in off and started crying. (Ironic that the first jammies were fleece and she didn't want to wear them.) Then i refused to scratch her back and she through another fit. Not that this was such a bad night, but that this happens all the time. It is so wearing and i get sooooooo frustrated.
Anyway I love my kids of course and so grateful for the times they are loving and cuddling even though if one is on my lap the other throws a fit and pinches, or hits the one on my lap. Or just cries till i make the one on my lap give their sibling a turn. Caleb is just at the age where he will take things from Lizzy on purpose just cause she has something, or he wants attention from her or me. I really do love this stage in life for sooooo many reasons, but also i NEVER knew being a mom was some mentally draining. The moods, the bribes, the trickery, the attitudes (which Lizzy has a major sassy, she calls joking, attitude right now.), etc. etc.
-Okay i just had to write that down, so i don't forget someday what life is like with these little ones. and i needed to vent a little too.

So here are a couple pics of my dear sweet kids.......
Lizzy actually has been very creative lately, she thought of this idea on her own and got some paper towels, took a hair ribbon and then colored eyes and a mouth to make ghosts.
















Calebs favorite spot for the month of October was here, taking the arms out of our Pumpkin witch.

My mom came to visit and it was sooooo nice to have her here. My kids just adore her and it is so fun to see them taking to their grandma, even when they don't see her much.

While she was her, my sister, me and her went an a girls retreat. MUCH NEEDED! We just drove down to mission bay (in san diego) and stayed 2 nights at a hotel, slept in, and went on a 4 hour bike ride around mission bay. Perfect weather and great company. We had a great time.



Out to breakfast on my mom's birthday!














Riding around Mission Bay!

I just can't figure my kids out

Well this one tops the cake, as of lately at least. Caleb has been very adamant about when he wants to go to bed. He used to be a perfect angel and would willingly lay his head on my shoulder as i sang,"i am a child of God" then he would let me lay him down and he would go to bed with out a peep (usually) well that ship sailed, but I pray it will come back soon. So lately he has been screaming and pointing to the door and using every muscle in his little body to try to get away from me and out the door. Tonight we went through the same process of kicking and screaming, finally i put him in bed to hear him scream for 30 mins, so i went in thinking he'd lay his head on my shoulder and let me sing to him. But he squirmed and bolted for the door. Went out on the couch and sat down, then patted the cushion next to him as my que to sit by him. Then he just sat and stared, rubbed his eyes, his head bobbed a few times and within 10 mins he collapsed in half and was out. So i took the picture and picked him up to take to bed. The second i put him down he starts screaming and jumping up, so i rocked a little and luckily he was out well enough this time to let me put him down and escape.
Things i will never understand about kids......Why do you fight sleep so much. I don't know if all kids hate to sleep or if i was blessed with two extreme cases of hating sleep and fighting with every ounce of my body to not give in.
While i'm at it,
*I'll have to comment of a couple other things caleb is up to, or In to is more like it.
About a week ago he learned how to open doors, which is not good, but i have locks on certain doors from the outside, like the garage and bathrooms. But not to worry cause today Caleb learned to unlock the door to. Just put his two little fingers up and turned the little lock. Guess i'll be going to get some baby proof locks tomorrow. Cause caleb's favorite thing is to get into a bathroom while i'm not looking and either play in the toilet bowl or turn the sink on and sit in it.
*He has also started to terrorize his sister, with pulling hair, biting, hitting, and taking everything out of her arms, Not that she is the perfect angel either, but i do feel bad for her cause he has her number for sure. But there are those moments where the hug or kiss and are so sweet together.
*Which is another trademark of Caleb, he loves to kiss and zerbert. He is a great cuddler and loves to give kisses, nice wet ones, but the best is he'll come over lift my shirt off my belly and give me a zerbert. He just cracks himself up about it. And its not just one, he has to do at least 4 or 5 of them.
*Caleb also has a lot of personality that shows through in his facial expressions. He isn't talking besides dadda and momma, but he grunts, moans, points, pushes my leg if he has to to get me to move or come where he wants.
*Very dramatic and emotional little boy. He either learned from lizzy or is trying to compete with her. Somewhere i heard little boys are not dramatic, not so. Caleb has no problem flopping down and wailing over every little thing, i know its a toddler thing, but believe me he pushes the envelope on it.
*He is very quick to laugh, usually even in the middle of a melt down, or through tears I can get him to smile or laugh. And he always is trying to get a laugh from us. (with his dance moves, or zerberts)
Besides the fact that i'm exhausted and often can't wait for some of these stages to pass, I love this little guy and wouldn't change him for anything (i may change a few of his behaviors) Anyway I'm blessed to have my two kids and just so grateful they love me too. We definetly have our ups and downs but when i get those hugs, kisses, and zerberts too it is just priceless. And above all i tell myself daily 'joy in the journey'
So i love you Caleb and all the time we get to spend together!

Our family vacation!

As most people were going back to school, but finally got our family vacation in. We went to Sedona, Az. Which is AMAZING! if you haven't been there i highly recommend it!. it is beautiful. if many not be the most kid friendly vacation spot, but it was georgeous and so fun. There are tons of hikes, we only did two small ones because we had the kids. My parents went too, which was great having grandma and grandpa there.

Sedona is just surrounded in huge red rock formations! Just beautiful. This was on the only hike we took the kids, i had to carry caleb the whole mile, which seems a lot longer when you're hiking and lizzy asked are we there yet? 50 times or more. But it was still beautiful.

We went to Montezuma's castle, which is indian ruins in the side of the mountain, she became a junior ranger there.

Caleb and I trying to stay cool in the shade.

We found an amazing Kaleidoscope store in the ghost town of Jerome and you could take a picture through the scope. pretty cool

One day we went to the Grand Canyon, and i thought for sure it would be sooooooo hot in August, we were actually cold. But this is a stop on the way home at Bedrock City. We actually were too tired to go in the run down playground, but this care was out front, so the kids had fun in it.

Living on the edge..... the Grand Canyon