Locking up the blog...

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Tickles and Giggles

Tickles from Angie Smith on Vimeo.

Noah ~ 4 1/2 Years

~ He is FULL of questions! He is constantly asking us questions about this and that...he wants to know about everything! He is so into learning new things right now and I just love his thirst for knowledge.
~ He has made a number of new friends in our new neighborhood and he is always wanting to go outside to play with them. He wasn't able to just go outside and *play* out our old house, and it did take Noah some time to actually do it here, but now he is all over being outside and playing to his hearts content! It is such a joy watching him laugh and play with his new friends...it makes me so happy to see him so happy.
~ Although he plays well with his friends, he still wants me by his side whenever he is playing at home. Sometimes I wish that he would just go and play by himself, but then I sit back and realize how much fun I have with him when I'm playing with him, so I'm sure {and hope} that he feels the same way. We have a great time together playing with his trains and trucks...I just wish that he would have fun playing *my* games...like cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc... I don't think that will ever happen!
~ He is beginning to realize that he is the oldest sibling, and with it comes certain responsibilities. He definitely looks out for Leah and Isaac, but he is just now starting to teach them new things...like helping Leah with her ABC's and 123's, teaching Leah how to play games, comforting Isaac when I'm busy and can't do it myself... It's wonderful seeing him as the BIG brother around here.
~ Now, although he watches out for Leah, doesn't mean that he's always nice to her. Those two butt heads constantly, and it drives me *crazy*! Noah likes to take control when they are playing together and he kind of expects Leah to just follow along, BUT Leah is NOT a follower! Not at all! She does not like being told what to do and she will most likely do the opposite of what you ask her to do...SO, this does not fair well with Noah. He gets easily frustrated with her, but he's learning...heck...I'm still learning how to get control of the little 2 year old. She's a force...a strong one! BUT, when they do play together, it's great! I love hearing them laugh and enjoy their time with one another. I just hope that Noah realizes that she can not be controlled and to just stop doing it, because it is NEVER going to work.
~ He still loves trucks...he can't get enough of them! He is {still} also a huge fan of playing with Play-doh...the possibilities are endless with that stuff!
~ He is SO excited for Christmas that he is about to burst with excitement! He is already talking about what he is going to ask Santa for this year {a truck, of course!}. I think I might have to pull out the Christmas stuff early this year so that we can really have some fun with it. One month is just not enough!
~ It wasn't until a few months ago that Noah really started to enjoy watching movies and shows on TV. Well, this new found *love* is getting to be a pain in the you know what because he is constantly asking me to watch TV. He absolutely loves watching The Backyardigans, which, by the way, really is a fun show to watch, but it is just getting out of hand. I'm not a huge fan of TV to begin with, so I've definitely had to have him cut back on watching shows. Now, he has never really watched a lot of TV, but our problem here is that he is constantly asking to watch something, and whenever I tell him no he mopes around and acts as if he will never be happy again {which I know isn't true, but his actions make me think this sometimes!}. Anyway, it's just one more thing that we are working on. Disappointment is obviously a *very* hard emotion to deal with, but he's just going to have to learn to deal with it, right?
~ He absolutely LOVES preschool! He is learning so much and has made some great friends. He looks forward to going to school and I am so thankful for that! I hope his love for school and learning continues...he's got a long way to go!
~ He has SO much energy...it's crazy! Nothing slows him down, which sometimes isn't a very good thing.
~ He definitely has selective listening. Please, oh PLEASE, tell me this is normal with a 4 year old! It drives me nutty that I have to tell him something so many times before he actually *hears* it and understands it. I really don't like repeating myself, and, let me tell you, I TOTALLY feel like a broken record these days. If I ask him to do something that he doesn't want to do, he will act as if I'm not even in the room! BUT, if I say something in regards to playing, or treats, or anything to his liking, he'll be completely alert and pay attention to everything I say {go figure}.
~ He has an amazing imagination! He will make his bed into a boat and go on a trip with Leah and all of his animals. He likes to pretend that he's a pirate, or a cowboy, or Buzz Lightyear. He likes to ride his bike around and pretend that he's an officer. The things that he comes up with are endless and I just love seeing what he is going to come up with next.
~ He is not the best sleeper at night...he wakes up 3-5 times EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Oh my...I'm so sick of this. Because of this, he is so tired during the day and still wants to take naps {not always, but sometimes}. Well, we recently found out that he has huge adenoids, which could be the reason for his bad sleeping. He is going to get them removed soon, and I'm hoping that this helps him. I'm am totally nervous about this, as I'm sure every parent would be. I just want to get better and have a good nights sleep! He definitely needs it!
~ He is such a loving little guy. He is always telling us that he loves us and giving us hugs and kisses. And what I love most is that he is so genuine when he does this...it's just so sweet.
~ He is such a happy little boy and loves to laugh. I just can't get enough of his amazing smile :).

Decorating Cookies

We decorated some cookies this afternoon, and I love how something so simple can turn into something so fun!

Focused on the task at hand.

Then the fun begins! My mom had come to visit, and I asked her to do something to get Leah's attention and make her smile. SO...mom put some frosting on her nose, and it definitely got a smile out of Leah. What we didn't see coming was that she was going to mimic grandma...monkey see, monkey DO!
Then, of course, Noah had to join in on the fun!

THEN, this little clean freak had to clean herself up...

...just to get more frosting on her face! These two had a great time together.

So cute!

Back to finishing what they started.

YUM!

Girly

Leah's all about accessories...whether it be a necklace, bracelet, a bow in her hair, cute shoes, a purse, earring, or painted nails. She pretty much always has to have at least one, or maybe even ALL, of these things all of the time. Just yesterday, I bought her some sticker earrings and she thinks that they are the coolest things ever! I remember having those as a little girl and thinking the same thing :). She is SO girly, and I LOVE it!


She's wearing Mrs. Potato Heads earrings here...

Brothers

Little Climber

This little munchkin climbs on EVERYTHING! She usually just climbs on the furniture and the sinks in the bathrooms. BUT, that has obviously become way too easy for her, so now she climbs up the stairs AND on the kitchen counters, and she does this without using any stools. She justs holds on to the counter and climbs right on up the side of the cupboards.

I know, I KNOW, that I shouldn't be taking pictures of her doing this, but it just needs to be documented! PLUS, she's pretty good and I really don't think that she'll fall...that is until she does fall. She's pretty confident and every time I tell her to get down, she does, just to do it again! Ya, she doesn't listen, but what 2 year old does, right?

Side note: This climbling instinct must be in her blood because my little niece, Georgia, is also a climber...maybe she still is? I just remember visiting them last year and she was always hanging out on the counter in the the kitchen...I guess these little girls just want to be really close to their moms, since majority of my time is spent in the kitchen :).

Isaac ~ 4 Months

Our precious baby boy is now 4 months old. He has surprised me with all of the things that he has started to do this month. He's an absolute joy to be around and we love him to the moon and back! Here's what he's been up to this month...

~ Right after he turned 3 months old, he started to roll over from his belly to his back. He's a belly sleeper, so I would go in to get him from his naps and he would be on his back! It actually took a few weeks for us to actually witness this new trick of his because he would only do it after he woke up. He now flips right over to his back the minute that you lay him down, which means I need to make sure that he is sound asleep before I lay him down, or else he'll flip right over, be wide awake, and I have to start from square one to put him down.
~ He drools ALL OF THE TIME!
~ He has the cutest little belly laugh EVER! I can't get enough of it! And I love how easy it is to make him laugh!
~ Lately he hasn't been sleeping as well as I would like. He's been waking up once in the middle of the night, then at 6:00, although he does go right back to sleep as soon as I feed him. I just wish that he would start sleeping 8 hours straight again.
~ He is the happiest baby! He is constantly smiling and cooing at us. And his smile...oh boy...it's amazing! He smiles with his entire face and it is so, so adorable! You just can't help but be happy when Isaac is around because that smile is contagious!
~ He does not like to be left alone, and the *moment* that I walk out of the room he starts to whine/cry/whimper... The moment that I walk back into the room, he's full of smiles! He definitely likes having someone around to "talk" to.
~ He loves playing with *all* of his baby toys. He can grasp most of his toys now and he loves to shake them and, of course, chew on them.
~ If he doesn't have something to chew on, he'll go to town chomping on his hands. I'm beginning to wonder if he's starting to teeth...I guess we'll know soon enough.
~ He suddenly likes his binky. Noah and Leah wanted *nothing* to do with the bink, but Isaac has just recently started to take it. It's actually a nice thing because it soothes him in the car, which lead me to the fact that he still hates being in his car seat. He's getting better, mostly because of his binky. I'd rather have him suck on his bink and be calm in the car instead of hear him scream every time we go somewhere.
~ His brother and sister absolutely adore him...maybe a little too much. He still gets a teeny bit nervous when they are too rough around him, and he'll let them know how he feels about it. When he starts to cry when Leah is playing around him, Leah will come to me and tell me that "Isaac's nervous"...I guess I have told her that phrase one too many times. But, it's true.
~ I still think {and hope} that he's eyes are going to go blue. His eyes still change colors from day to day, but they pretty much always have some shade of blue going on. We'll see how they turn out soon enough :).

Well, that's all I can think of for now. He's definitely a keeper and we just can't get enough of him. I take *way* too many pictures of my kiddos when they are this age, mostly because they will actually let me take pictures of them ;). So, here are some of my favs from this past month.

so long summer...until next year!

I know that it is mid-October, but I feel like I need to add this post to round out our fun summer. Yes, this summer was a little more low key due to adding a cute little baby to the family, but we still had a great summer! I've said it before, but summer really is my favorite season...I really LOVE being outdoors everyday and not worrying about being cold {I *really* don't enjoy the cold weather!}. So, here are some things that I really enjoyed this summer...

We didn't go to the pool often, but when we did we had a blast! Leah had a great time going down the BIG slide for the first time!
And I just love how these two would hold hands going down the kiddie slide...not only here, but every single time they went down.
Isaac was a champ whenever we went to the pool. Doug and I would take turns watching him, and he was always as good as ever!

Noah had a daddy/son camping trip, and can I just tell you how much fun Noah had on this little one-nighter. He pretty much wouldn't stop talking about it for many days following...I so wish that I could have gone too! Although, I can only imagine how much fun a camping trip would be with ALL the kiddos in one tent...ya, it's probably a good thing I stayed home with Leah and Isaac.

Ah...I ate WAY too many sno-shacks {as we call them} this summer! They are SO.... good! I really couldn't get enough and I found any excuse to go get one when we were out and about! My new favorite flavor is Cotton Candy {the blue one}...thank you Connor for introducing it to me! It is DELICIOUS!

Noah couldn't get enough of playing in the dirt with his trucks {no surprise there!}!

We also ate way too much ice cream this summer. My favorite were the Drumsticks that my parents always had a stock of...YUM! I love how it doesn't matter how messy the kiddos get when they eat ice cream in the summer...the messier the better, right?

I really enjoyed the nice, cool evenings that came around. There was this one evening, the beginning of August, that was so amazing! The clouds filled up the sky and the sun shined through making a *beautiful* yellow/orange color everywhere in sight. It really was amazing. Here's Leah and John on that evening...it's hard to tell, but the sky was so beautiful!

Ahh...we can never get enough of blowing bubbles!

Playing in the sandbox and my parent's house was also a favorite with Noah and Leah. Noah pretty much spent his entire time playing in it whenever we were there.

And dressing this little princess up in her little sun dresses was definitely a favorite of mine! Good thing she loves these dresses just as much as I do!

Well, so long summer! Next year couldn't come soon enough...and we're excited already :).

Cornbelly's ~ 2010

Today we went on a family outing to Cornbelly's ~ a fun little place to go for Halloween that has a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay ride, and LOTS of fun things for the kiddos. Last year, we went the Scarecrow Festival and we were not at all impressed, so we were a little hesitant going to Cornbelly's because we really didn't want to have the same experience. Well, we had a GREAT time! Noah and Leah had fun participating in all of the fun activities that they had never done before, especially riding the go karts and jumping on the *giant* pillow thingy. The best part was when we did the corn maze and Noah thought that we were really lost "forever"! Honestly, he didn't really enjoy the maze and he was pretty happy when we got to the end, at which point I had that little "I told you so talk" and that he should believe me when I say that we will *eventually* make it to the end{We actually did it in good time...we'll never get lost with Doug around, that's for sure!}. It was a nice little family activity for October...I still can't believe that it is already October! I miss summer! Anyway, here's some shots from our day...

The go karts were a hit and I just loved seeing their faces when Doug was riding it at full speed. They really do love their Daddy SOOOOOO much!
The tractor ride was a bit too bumpy for me, but the kids liked it, and that's what matters. Yeah, this was the best picture...man, getting a picture with everyone looking in the same direction is close to impossible!
We actually got to sit down while the kiddos went down the huge slide over and over again. I was even able to snap a picture of US!

Duck Races...or, as I like to call it, Lets See How Much Water We Can Get Everywhere!

There was an old fire truck that the kids could get in, and this was a HUGE hit with Noah. This little guy just LOVES trucks!

Ah...the joy of being a kid and jumping, jumping, JUMPING on the massively large pillow {as they called it}. I think they liked it :).

Overwhelmed

Yes, I have been a bit overwhelmed lately. Just a little bit!

Let me begin by saying that I have always wanted to be a mommy. Even when I was a little girl. I remember playing with my babies and taking care of them and loving them. And when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I remember saying "a mom". Really, being a mom was my dream job.

And now it is happening. My dream has come true...TIMES THREE! I am a mommy to Noah, and Leah, AND Isaac. Oh my...have they ever come true! Plus I have the most amazing husband!

When I was little, I thought that being a mommy was all fun and games...boy was I wrong. Now, I do try to focus on the good stuff...really I do. But, just because I want to focus on what is good, doesn't mean that the hard stuff isn't there. And, lately, the hard stuff about being a mom has totally slapped me in the face.

Here are some examples {just to name a few}:
~ The tantrums...oh, the tantrums! Tantrums are constant around here lately, and if I'm being honest...I'm SO sick of it! Seriously, when Noah and Leah start throwing tantrums, I just want to go and lock myself away in my bedroom...and I have! And the thing is, is that I know that this just the beginning of many years of this...my oldest IS only 4! Saying "no" to them about something, translates to them that this is the end of the world...and then the tantrum starts. Leah's are the best...laying on the ground, screaming {and boy can that girl SCREAM!}, and kicking her legs. And there are times that nothing will work to stop the tantrum, except time. And Noah, well, he's finally old enough to know that when he starts a tantrum, and then looks at me and sees "the look", he stops. But then he just whines, and, to me, whinning is just as bad as a tantrum.
~ Giving my attention to them has been so much harder lately. I mean, I am always with them, but they all want/need my attention at the exact same time. This has been the one thing that has been so hard for me to balance, especially since having Isaac. Example: Isaac needs to eat, so I start to feed him. Seconds later Leah tries to climb on my lap {remember, Isaac is already on my lap} and wants me to read her a book. Seconds later, Noah comes over and wants me to go upstairs and play trucks with him, and the moment I tell him that he has to wait...he...throws a tantrum {big surprise}. After calming him down, which is getting to be easier, he goes and gets a book to read while he waits for me. And during all of this, Leah is still trying to wiggle her way on my lap and won't even consider sitting next to me instead. Ugh! This happens EVERY day, multiple times a day...they all want and need my attention at once. I know that they need to learn to be patient, but I feel so badly not giving them all of me when they need it. Mommy guilt...big time!
~ Housework. I've always been a little obsessive about cleaning the house and keeping it organized...but lately this has all gone down the drain. There are days that I hope no one comes over because my house is a disaster...I mean a total MESS! Toys EVERYWHERE, laundry piles in every room, dishes piled up in the sink {because, of course, the dishwasher hasn't been emptied}, dirty clothes on the floor, and I could go on, but I'll stop there. Keeping up with the house has been so much harder for me lately. And, if I'm being completely honest, I don't really care anymore. I'm realizing that I'll get to it when I get to it, and eventually I do. I'm beginning to realize that time spent with the kids is far more important than housework. Yes, I do want my house to look nice, but in the long run, what matters is being there for the kids. They do come first. BUT, that doesn't mean that it doesn't drive me a little crazy when I think of ALL of the things that need to be done.
~ The "to do list" keeps getting longer and longer. There is just so much to do and so little time to do it all! The list includes: painting the house, cutting down the tree in the front, organizing and printing out pictures, buying some winter clothes for the kids, organizing the storage room, decorating Noah and Leah's room, sewing curtains, and the. list. goes. on! This is definitely getting longer before it gets shorter. I just don't want to think about it, but I can't help it!.
~ Going on errands is SO hard lately. Yeah, I pretty much don't go anywhere anymore. I do sometimes, and only if I absolutely have to, because taking all three of them to a store is pretty challenging. But, when I do, guess who wins the prize for being the most well behaved?? ISAAC! He just sits in the baby carrier and watches Noah and Leah as they become little terrors. Seriously, I'm convinced that those two get together and create a plan on how to make this shopping experience even more challenging for mom. Like...how many times should we get out of the cart before mom freaks out, OR how many times should we ask mom to buy something before she freaks out. Yes, FREAKS OUT is an understatement, SO, in order to avoid this, I limit our outings. And when we do go somewhere, it's to the park or a someones house.

Well, those are just some highlights of things that have overwhelmed me lately. It's hard to find a medium that will work, but I am striving to find it. Of course I don't want my kids to throw tantrums, and I want the house to be clean, and I want them to be well behaved when we go out...but everything isn't going to be perfect. What I do know, is that my kids know that they are loved, and I sure do hope that they know that I am trying my hardest be a great mommy to them. I want them to be happy, but I also want them to learn that we have to work hard and that life isn't always peaches and cream. There are going to be bumps in the road...and that is OK. I am realizing this too, and it's hard to steer clear of the hard stuff sometimes and focus on the good. The good does outweigh the bad. Yes, I may be overwhelmed, but being a mom, and a wife, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Life really is good, despite all of those bumps!

Lake Powell ~ 2010

We weren't planning on going on a vacation this year for obvious reasons, and I was a little sad about that. So, when my parents asked us if we wanted to go to Lake Powell, I was all over it! I SO needed a vacation...I just needed a break from everyday tasks and time to get away and have fun with my family. We went to Lake Powell with the Martins 2 years ago and had so much fun, so we were way excited to go again. They have the *nicest* houseboat and we are so thankful that they thought to invite us. We had a wonderful time going boating, wakeboarding, playing in the sand, swimming, lounging around, playing games, etc... I really do think that Lake Powell is one of the most beautiful places, and it was so nice to go there again and take in the beauty of it all! The children had so much fun and we didn't have as many melt downs as I was expecting...I don't know what to expect these days! They were constantly entertained, so this vacation was great for them too! Good, GOOD times!!

Noah and Leah had a blast playing in the dirt...and getting dirty! It was nice not worrying at all about them getting dirty...I'd just dunk them in the water to clean them off before we went in :).

Noah loved swimming over to this rock across the way and jumping into the water with Doug.

Seriously...he is SO cute! Isaac was also SO good on this trip, and I love him so much for it!

Leah navigating the boat...she was taking us to "Disneyland". That's what she said!

Going boating...
I just love Doug's old school Oakleys!

I love wakeboarding and I'm thankful that I caught on easily, since it has been so long since I last did it. Good times!

Doug was pretty good, until he fell and hurt his neck! Nice!

OK...Cam is beyond amazing a wakeboarding! Seriously, look at that! He was doing {and landing} 360's and some amazing jumps! Crazy, yet so amazing to watch! Wow!

There was a little hill where we were, and Doug decided to make the trek to the top to see if he could get cell phone coverage. He did...he just can't live without technology ;).

Leah, of course, was looking all cute in her pink dress at Lake Powell! And, yes, she wears her sunglasses upside down. I think they stay better on her face that way...she always wears them like this!

Drink your water...it was HOT!

Colton and Leah had fun feeding the fish that would come around. I love how easy it is to keep 2 year old entertained :).

Going down the slide was another favorite.

Me and my babes...

Man, they're cute!

Isaac wasn't neglected at all on this trip and was held pretty much every moment he was awake. Leah even took a turn...she sure loves her little bro!

Leah was a bit hesitant about the water, and I don't blame her one bit! When she would get in, she would cling to either Doug or I like a little monkey. We made sure to hold on to her tight so that she wouldn't get scared.

On our last night, we went on a ride to see Lost Canyon, and while on the ride over there all of the children fell asleep! They were T.I.R.E.D!

Lost Canyon

Looking out from a beautiful cave that we found...AMAZING!