The last few weeks...

Carnival games a la Molly and Logan. We spent an evening at my mom's participating in the carnival. From the backpack race(logan says mine wasn't heavy enough and it didn't matter that I had to hold Hansen and run...just the backpack needed to be heavier), to the bottle squeeze, the coloring contest, the scooter race, and the obstacle course...all to be finished off by the salt shaking contest...Sam won, I was so proud. He won an original "color by number" piece by Logan as his prize. Fantastic. A little pizza for dinner and it was a success. They also charged us to participate...lucky Grandma had some cash.
We had a play date with some old friends, and we ended up in Grandma's leaves. It was so fun.
This is Garrett watching VERY closely as Molly is in the dental chair. He was SO excited to get his turn(when they said, "Garrett you are up" he dropped everything he was holding and walked very intently to that chair), and then told me afterwards that he didn't really want to go back again. :-)
Thanksgiving with the Baxter's was great. Sam's sister Andi hosted and we just brought in some food. I did home made rolls...and was very proud of myself cause I didn't mess them up and I only called my mom 4 or 5 times. I also did creamed corn and stuffing. My new discovery this year was buttermilk pie, which I will be making next year, no matter what. It was great day filled with Bingo, prizes, peanut hiding, and crafty Thanksgiving treats. Garrett slipped and split his lip(I figure it wouldn't be a real day without one of my boys injuring something)...but then right after Hansen threw up ALL of his stomach contents(6-8 oz of milk) all over Garrett. He just looked at me with these big blue sad sad eyes and his bloody fat lip and said so despondently, "Dat's it, I'm just a big big mess!" It was one of those moments that you have to try not to laugh because it was that sad.

The kids had a fantastic time getting Christmas decorations put up. As we were setting up one of the trees Garrett just kept saying, "This is going to be hugmongous" :-) They are so excited. As we put up the nativities, and I was talking to Molly about how this is the real reason for Christmas, she looked at me with the biggest "I'm not buying it" look ever and said, "It's like on one day the whole world has a birthday party! We will have to work on that. She then asked me this morning if Santa was real or if he was just a "story." I didn't know what to say, so I said what I always say, "Ask your dad when he gets home" She is only 6! How is she already figuring that out!

Kiddos being kiddos...

We are excited for the upcoming holiday season. We were talking about Giving Thanks tonight and Sam was giving FHE lesson, "Have you ever heard of the the ten lepers?" Molly, "You mean the ten leper-chauns?" Awesome. Then while we were eating dinner, we asked what they wished they could get for Christmas, Molly says, "A new chiuaua puppy." Sam, "You mean a new rat?" Garrett, "Yes! I want a rat for christmas! yea! a new rat!!!!" I love these little people.

The last little bit...

We've been enjoying fall with all our might! I keep forcing the kids to go play outside, "Cause this might be our last day of good weather." They are starting to catch on, and I am pretty sure they think San Diego weather might miraculously appear this winter. We are supposed to have a beautiful week too...so i'm not sure they will listen to me anymore.

We have been jumping and raking in leaves(Garrett did a full lay out dive on his first couple of dives...his cousin thought he was a bit crazy...we all do).

Halloween was really fun, with home made pizza's shaped like pumpkins at my mom's and trick or treating with cousins, and my fiasco of home made doughnuts. I don't even have a pic of what Molly dressed up as for the actual night of Halloween. She was a witch for some parties, a ballerina for the school parade, and a star for trick or treating. Hallo-week. Insane.

We had a couple of celebrations for Molly's birthday. My mom and dad did one with all of her cousins. She got "dollars" in her card...and she was pretty pumped. She is in the pic with her Grandpa O and Hansen. Doesn't she just look 6? :-) We then threw a surprise party because her Great Grandpa and Grandma just happened to be coming into town. She was so excited. She walked in and had a pretty stunned look on her face, and then just started hugging everyone. It was cute. I think she was sort of embarrassed so she just kept walking around hugging everyone. Garrett walked in right behind her and immediately started to cry and walk backwards. He was scared to death.(note to self, he is too little for surprise parties). I didn't post a pic, because all I had was video. But the first pic is of Hansen playing while I prepared for the party. :-) I made a little "sleepover" cake for her that was shaped like a little bed with little people in it...complete with little teddy gummy bears. She is the big 6, and we are so proud of her. She is the girl that already memorized her part for the primary program(three weeks away), and all her teachers love her...but she is only concerned about friends, friends, friends. She came at the end of the party and says, "Hey I didn't get cake"(we had cut and eaten it long before, but she was just TOO busy playing with all of her cousins. It is fun to watch her grow up.

Taking a moment

Some events in the last couple of weeks have made me want to remember this deep gratitude I feel for the good things in my life...and even some of the "bad". We have had quite a year. It has been challenging at times, and we have learned a lot. But I have almost missed out on "taking a moment" to enjoy life. Like when Garrett asked me to come wipe him("Come WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPE me!!!") and then asked if he could brush his teeth...and I almost missed the great "picture" of his little naked bum, his cuteness on his tippy toes reaching for the sink. Like when he asks me constantly to "pretend....you are a queen, and I am your soldier..." Or Garrett and Molly getting dressed up and Molly saying, "Time for a little carnival!" and Garrett responding, "I am SOOOOOO excited for the carnival!, Mom, What does Carnival mean?" Or when Molly reminds me to do things that I ask her to remind me of so I don't forget. Or Molly handing me a little note with her cute Kindergarten writing, "I love you, You love me" Or when Hansen uses every bit of determination in his body to launch crawl himself across the carpet floor to get to that ever so interesting tile floor. Or when the kids are out riding bikes and enjoying every second of the crisp fall air, healthy, happy, and full of joy. I am surrounded by good, good people...and wonderful beautiful little people. They are all that matter. Everything else is just a sidenote.

Pumpkins

So I had to get our moving dolly to move the two giants. Wow. I almost hurt myself. Molly and Garrett are pumped. I'm sure some snotty teenager will come steal them, and Halloween will be ruined but that is why I have a camera right? Happy Fall!

Garrett and the crazy bee

This picture has nothing to do with this post, but I couldn't post without a picture...I just couldn't. This is when Garrett got stuck under our shelves, and I had to get him out. The reason for today's post is because of my brave boy. I go outside to call Garrett inside. He gets on his bike and starts riding across the street. I notice a bee or something is following him...but I figure it will fly away soon. But no. He gets closer and closer and I realize this bee is not leaving him alone. He doesn't even notice. He gets off his bike, and I don't see it anymore, so I am thinking "tragedy averted." But no. He shakes his little body...and I realize it is in his shirt! Long sleeved at that! I rip his shirt off of him and the bee falls out. Already dead. Garrett starts kind of whining a bit and rubbing his chest. Says he thinks the dead bee bit him, and he needs a band aid. He is definitely uncomfortable and we do all the great mom things to fix him right up. I can't believe how brave he is. This is so shocking to me, and if any of you had seen how Molly reacted when she got stung, you would know why. As a sidenote, we went to the doc about an hour later to get a flu shot, and he protested once, and then said, "Never mind mom, I will get it." When they asked if he wanted his mom to go first, he said, "No! I wanna go first!" And jumped up on the table and laid down before the nurses had turned around. What a guy. He also shared his ice cream with Molly. He kept holding out each spoonful after saying "Close your eyes...now open dem...surprise!"

Fishing with my Dad

I love going fishing with my dad. He always seems to catch fish with me in the backpack. I may cry on the way to the river but the moment I get on the river I just calm right down. The crescent moon was beautiful. And the crisp air was perfect. I love Fall just like my mom...even though I had to wear this funny hat. Thanks Daddy, Love you, Hansen