Happy Halloween!

After some crazy days of pre-Halloween celebrations (the library's Halloween parade--which we technically missed--the ward trunk or treat, and a friend's Halloween birthday/playgroup party), we were excited to celebrate Halloween itself. The youngest was very upset by the idea of putting on his costume, until I explained that he wasn't going to be allowed to carry his pumpkin bucket unless he was in costume. Within minutes he was dressed to go. It was a chilly night, but, vain me, I didn't want coats over the boys costumes.

(The oldest roaring at the camera.)

I had had a bad back day, so I sent the boys trick or treating with their dad. We weren't really interested in the candy--though my husband and I have enjoyed digging through their treat buckets for a late night snack--we really wanted to try and get to know our neighbors. (Interestingly enough, all of our "neighbors" weren't doing the trick or treating. They had disappeared before trick or treating officially began. Though one couple brought over Halloween treats for the boys because the couple knew they weren't going to be handing out candy.)

(Trick or treating)

The boys ended up trick or treating for about 30 minutes--10 or 15 houses. My husband was surprised at how little people interacted with the costumed children, and the children who sacrificed to walk to the end of the cul-de-sac to knock on our door--remember, we were the only ones in the cul-de-sac handing out candy, and we are at the back--were surprised that we commented on their costumes. The oldest arrived back home first, and the youngest was last. I had to snap a picture of him, sans hat, with cold clown nose.

The Olympics was different . . .

When the Olympics came to Salt Lake City in 2002, I was lucky enough to be given tickets to one of the hockey games--Switzerland v. who-knows. It was my first hockey experience. So I was a little surprised when the family went to the local hockey game last week and saw hockey culture at its finest.

Now, I hadn't known how central fighting was to the entire game of hockey. I knew it was a physical, I'm-going-to-knock-you-on-your-keister sport, but when the first fight started and the two players stood there decking each other and the referees didn't do anything I was surprised. I was more surprised when the audience, including women and children, stood up encouraging the fight to continue.

We had earned enough tickets for the family through the summer reading program at the library. The oldest didn't like the loud music (it was rather loud) and the youngest was ready to go after eating his ice cream. We ended up leaving near the start of the second period (right as our team scored their second goal.) But it was a fun, culturally interesting experience.

Waiting for the Flu

Today, in celebration of the youngest's birthday (or despite the fact that we wanted to celebrate the youngest's birthday) we headed to the county H1N1 vaccine clinic. We knew it was going to be a long wait, but I don't think I realized how long. I won't complain too loudly (my friend Besty waited for 4 1/2 hours with her twin babies), but we were in line for 3 1/2 hours, not including the twenty minutes it took to get into the parking lot. We were 1 1/2 hours outside the building and 2 hours inside (but we did get in the building right before it started to rain, which was a blessing because I had opted not to bring a coat for me so I didn't have one more thing to carry). We played "Ring around the Rosie" when we were by the lawn as a celebratory, "we made it this far," "happy birthday" type activity. And then did various hand rhymes, stories, and more "Ring around the Rosie" inside. One little preschool boy was so fascinated by what we were doing he had to watch.

When we finally made it to the front of the line and were called for a vaccine, the oldest melted. He started saying, "I don't want a flu shot." He refused to pull his arm out from his shirt, and I really had to hold him down for the shot. When he was done and I released my grip, he crumpled onto the floor sobbing. I had brought lollipops for after the shot, and even that wasn't enough to calm him down. It took a few extra moments to get him a little calmed down. Then it was the youngest's turn. He cried, but remembered to say (or cry) "Thank you" when he was offered a sticker. We left the table and went to some chairs on the other side of the room to try and help the oldest calm down. (The youngest had stopped crying as soon as his lollipop was unwrapped.) Then we headed back to the car, running through the pouring rain. As we drove to pick up my husband, the oldest kept repeating again and again, "I don't want any more flu shots."

All in all, we left the house at 12:03 and got back into the car at 4:00. Longer than I wanted. It had better work!

Happy Birthday!

Today our youngest celebrated his second birthday. We've been excited about it for a while. We decided on a basketball-ish theme (as much as I theme anything, basically it is just the cake and maybe the family gift). The present arrived in the mail about 1 1/2 weeks ago, and the boys and I went shopping for food coloring (try finding orange and black food coloring right before Halloween) yesterday. We had opted for nothing Halloweeney today--so we talked about ghosts on Tuesday and games today in preschool. We made blueberry muffins for breakfast and sang "Happy Birthday" before my husband left for work. The cake was finished shortly after and waited all day in the fridge.

(It's supposed to be a basketball.)

Despite my best planning the day was busy with non-birthday things. I was in charge of preschool, and the county decided to hold an H1N1 vaccine clinic. So after preschool, we opted out of naps, jumped in the car with lunch and a double stroller, and headed to the clinic. For the details of that event see Waiting for the Flu.

We picked up my sweet husband early from work, and came home to make the youngest's favorite dinner: chicken dippers and sweet potato fries. Then we went for the cake and ice cream. After we were done, we pulled out the presents from family and friends and started opening. The youngest caught on to opening, but didn't want to put presents away to open more. He played and played with the toys. (The oldest struggled a little with not being able to open gifts and wanting to play with everything his brother received.) Here are a few pictures.




I can't believe this little guy is two. I remember him being such a little guy and staying so little for so long. Now he talks, runs, skip-walks, dances, and has a very distinct idea of what he does and does not want to do. He's interested in sitting on the potty. He wants to participate in everything his older brother does. He is tender and sincere. We love him!

For Lindsay and Amber

31 3/7 weeks. I hope that I can come up with some better pictures later. (Don't mind the messy hair--it is one of those days.)

UPDATE: 32 6/7 weeks. Here are some better pictures. (I did my hair for this, then was caught in the rain, but at least I tried.)

Preview

He is part sharp-tooth, part long-tail and deadly with either appendage.

An Old Flame

My husband has been caught by old flame . . .


We don't live in the golf course subdivision, but we can see the 17th hole tee from our kitchen window. When his father came out to visit, they went golfing at the university course, and my husband has been infatuated ever since. So now I'm thinking about Christmas . . .

Pumpkin Patch

This week for FHE we went to the pumpkin patch. It had been a rainy morning, and it ended up that we were the only people there. The patch was wonderful: it had pumpkins, a little "town" for the boys to play on (complete with store and house and lots and lots of bikes), a sandbox, a cornbox, and a soybeanbox, a hay bale stack, a petting zoo, and the grandson of the owner who took the oldest for a spin in his John Deer battery-powered gator. It was so much fun. We stayed for the sunset and then drove back with two happy and tired boys.

The funniest thing was that we bought pizza to eat there and brought pumpkin cookies and water as well, but the boys were so busy running around and playing, they didn't eat until we got home, and then they finished the pizza, ate cracker sandwiches, and drank oodles of water.

Here are some pictures.

(The boys in the gator before meeting Abe.)

(Me and the boys with a pumpkin silo behind us.)

(The oldest as a scarecrow.)

(The youngest as a scarecrow.)

(The boys with their papi on the hay bale stack.)

Sweet sayings

"Mama, my Ten hurts."

"Your ten?"

"My Ten." Shows me his thumb.*

"Oh, your Ten hurts. I'm sorry."

"A' doin'?"

"What am I doing? I'm reading."

"Readin'?"

"What are you doing?"

"Sit."**

"Diaper. 'Mon." Takes me by the finger and walks me to the bedroom.***

* The ASL sign for the number ten is a wiggling thumb.

** The youngest asks this question all day long.

*** Don't worry; I'm not planning on potty training until later next year. If he is really interested, he'll start teaching himself.

Temporary Housing

We are all about temporary housing.

(A Bedouin tent while "the bug" was here.)

(A house--with chimney--for Conference weekend. The house is now aqua blue.)

It's Autumn time!

Last week the boys and I went apple picking at an orchard about an hour away. It had been highly recommended by some women in the ward, and I was excited to give the boys something to do. We drove out, picked up one 1/2 bushel you-pick bag and one wagon, and then went to the trees.

It was great. The branches were long enough that even the youngest could reach the apples and pull them off by himself.

The oldest knew exactly what to do and in about 7 minutes, we had a full 1/2 bushel.

"Let's do another," said the oldest.

I hadn't planned on buying two you-pick bags worth (I was going to get the cheaper seconds), but we walked back to the entrance, picked up another bag, and then went back to the trees. A tractor drove by twice and the farmer waved at the boys, and the boys thought it was great. They were ready to go back the next day.

That night, though, the youngest started running a (mild) fever, and he was cranky and clingy the next day, so we didn't go apple picking and the oldest didn't go to preschool (just in case it was contagious). The next night the youngest threw up, and the next day he had diarrhea. During the day he just had a runny nose and a little cough, but he didn't seem bothered. But to be safe we stayed homebound. The "bug" ended up sticking around until Saturday, when I saw two new canine teeth poking out from his top gums. Aha! I should have guessed it.

Since the "bug," the boys and I have canned 1 bushel of apples: 9 quart jars of apple pie filling (plus one that didn't seal and became a very tasty pie), 9 quart jars of applesauce (plus 2 pints that didn't get processed and became tasty applesauce and apple muffins), and 3 pints of apple butter (that didn't get processed and have been really fun to eat on everything). I have one more bushel to go, and then we might head back out to the orchard.

This week we are going to try out a pumpkin patch. If it is picture-worthy, I'll post pictures later.