Payback...

Sarah had a movie date with Papa and Grandma again last week. PnG love their movie dates with our cute girl and purchased 10 new movies the other day at Shopko. Last week Sarah watched a Dora movie with them, more than once I believe. ;) When I came to pick Sarah up from their house I left Luke in the car because I needed to grab her quickly and run home so I could deliver dinner to someone in our ward. Grandma came outside to tell Luke hello and to wave goodbye to us. When we were backing out we were yelling and waving at her. With all of our distraction Grandma had a little accident and fell. She's okay luckily, but I thought I hit her with my car somehow. IT ABOUT GAVE ME A HEARTATTACK and so we decided no better way to help her feel better than to return the favor and heartattack her. Fun stuff and it brought a smile to everyone's faces!

We LOVE you Grandma and are glad you are feeling better, but you better not scare me like that EVER AGAIN!! :)

13 not 3

I guess overnight my girl turned 13. Today is our day for Music Makers. 10:30 rolled around and then 10:45; noone else had come. I told Sarah and Luke we'd do it ourselves and that it would be just as fun. Sarah responded with, "No mom. It won't be fun without any of our music maker friends. When will they get here? We can't do it without our friends!"

Sarah has always loved and cherished her friends and I believe she will be quite the social girl when she grows up, but when did it not become fun to do things with just mom and little brother?

Luke and I started singing and dancing and soon she joined in. We ended up doing everything I had planned (minus the parachute as it's too big for just the 3 of us--we'll pull that out when daddy gets home) and even added some of our other favorites in, but afterward she told me it was no fun! Her smile said otherwise though. Little stinker! Guess she's just preparing me slowly for what's to come?!?!

Music Makers

There are many things we miss about California but are quite happy here in Idaho. Change is hard. But change can also be good.

In California we always kept really busy with our friends; we had park days, running at the beach, weekly Disneyland outings, music makers, Thursday play groups, holiday parties, beach day, etc. We never had to look very far for something super fun to do. Well, things aren't quite the same here, but rather than sitting around thinking the grass is always greener on the other side, I did something about it...

I started music makers here. I put it together and lead it every week which I find fun (lets the teacher in me out) and we have it in my family room. I had to be super creative with the instruments since we're a little tight on funds, but it is coming together wonderfully. I never know how many people will be here but it's always been a blast. Everyone's kids (mine included) love it and talk about it all week. That's just what I was hoping for and in the process the kids and I are making friends and come summer, maybe we'll have some friends that will want to keep us just as busy as our CA friends did.

Sarah helped me make the sand block instruments and I must say I've never seen others quite as cool as ours. We also have rhythm sticks made from dowels, and tiny boxes of sugar baby candies covered in colored duct tape. I am working on jingle bells and drums. I purchased a parachute and have been able to round up enough fun, inexpensive manipulatives to use for movement and parachute.

WE LOVE MUSIC MAKERS!!!

FORTY -THREE

My hubby's 43. While I do tease him about it, I don't really think he's old. Oh, except when we go visit him at school and I see his classmates. That does make him look old!! But I love him to pieces and am so lucky to have him!!

We had balloons, streamers, and a banner Sarah loved making for him. I was sad when it had to come down.

As I am sure I have mentioned before and will probably mention every single year, a birthday is not a birthday without cake for Richard so I try to make him happy with something spectacular. :) This year a majority of what he talks about at home are circuits and wires, and a bunch of mumbo jumbo I totally don't understand, but I thought I would try to make a birthday cake that tied into all things electrical engineering. It seemed so fitting for this time in his life.

I know nothing about circuits and so before you think I am so creative, etc, etc, I copied this from a cake I saw online and if you're a computer/circuit junkie, I know it really wouldn't make anything work in the real world but it made Richard's day!

That's all that matters!!!

Thanks to my parents who had a slumber party with the kids that night so we could go out to a movie and sleep in. Ahhh, it was like it was my birthday too.

And I'm sorry if you're sad that I didn't do some flowery post about all of your qualities, twinkly eyes, and stats for your birthday...there's just not enough room! :)

Just know I love you!!!

No, WE love you!!!

Spring Break

Since Richard is a student we decided we better do something big and grand for his spring break, as that's what you do over spring break when you're a student. While we know Cabo or Maui or even California would have been super fun, we figured we do something even more fun; potty train Sarah Jane!

We tried to potty train Sarah many, many months ago and it was a big old disaster and so I was fearful of potty training and the fact that Sarah would say, "Mom, I just love my diapers too much" didn't give me much hope either. I really thought it was going to be a nightmare. Luckily, it wasn't!!

We started off by letting Sarah pick out something she would like to earn. We went and took a picture of her with her prize but didn't purchase it that day. Her Snow White dress had to be earned. She was so excited when she finally got to bring it home.

The potty training went well. Our biggest struggles were getting her to transition from her little potty to the big potty. We finally just had to take the little one away and spend the morning locked in the bathroom. We also decorated her toilet with Dora Stickers. Once she went once it was never an issue again.

For the most part, it was a painless process and we're so proud of her. She proud of herself as well. Whenever she goes (still) she'll ask if we're proud of her and then say, "I'm SO, SO proud of me too!" Makes me laugh everytime. And although in all honesty we would have rather been on vacation somewhere tropical (we're really missing the sun), we know we're too poor for that right now and are happily saving money on diapers so that maybe next year we can make it to Cabo! HA HA--if only it were that easy!!

18 months of Awesome!

(Don't mind the flower jacket...we went to grandma's and wanted to go to the park but i forgot jackets, so he borrowed his 4 year old cousins jacket. look how well it fits this big guy!)

On Sunday (the 3rd) when Richard reminded me of our whereabouts 18 months ago, I was floored at how quickly time with this little guy is going by. Everyday is a joy with him in our home. His smile lights up any room and his giggle is infectious. He's super laid back, just like his daddy; except when provoked by his sister. Hmmm, when I think about it, that's also, just like his daddy. :) He is learning so much everyday and wants to be just like Sarah. He's in love with books and if he turns up missing I can almost always find him behind the couch with a basket of books. We love that about him. When he wants you to read a story to him he gets his book, and then backs up into your lap. You know immediately what he wants. Reading is his favorite past time with his Great Grandma Bigelow and I believe she enjoys it just as much as he does, if not more! Luke has 16 teeth and knows how to use them. Sarah usually has marks to prove it, poor girl! He's quite the dancer, rocking out to everything from hymns to hip-hop. He "talks" constantly. While we are beginning to understand more and more of his words, he usually gets what he wants with his grunts and finger pointing. He loves balls and being outside. If he has both together, all the better! He's an explorer and finds something new and interesting on every outing. His eyes are still blue as can be and I swear they twinkle. He's the best cleaner upper; just start singing the Barney cleanup song and you've got yourself a hard worker. He listens well. When he's done eating you know, as he throws whatever is left on his plate on the floor and pushes himself away from the table.(we're working on this) He's a climber but does seem to be outgrowing that stage, kind of! He loves to have his neck smooched on. We sing him I am a Child of God at bedtime and whenever else he needs calming; works like a charm. He's just begun giving full, fledged, arms around the neck hugs. Melts his mama's heart every time!

We love, Love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE having him in our family.

HE IS JOY and brings so much of it into our lives.

How blessed we are to have him in our home!!!

STATS:

30.4 pounds

33 inches long

19 inches circumference of head (runs in the family)

90th %ile

smart

silly

smoochable!!!

Movie Dates

Sarah Jane is one lucky girl. She knows 8 of her grandparents and while we wish we could live near them all, she is lucky enough to live near 5 of them. Lucky girl, she's been spending a lot of time with her great grandparents, Papa and Grandma Weldon. She adores them and they adore her. Why wouldn't they?! :) She has been going to their house for movie dates. She's seen Toy Story 3, Bambi, and Tangled (with 3 of her cousins). Papa and Grandma love it so much, they are always on the hunt for new movies that would be good for Sarah. I love it but Sarah loves it even more!!

Sarah and Great Grandma Weldon March 2008.