Pretty Toes

"Look Mama, Pretty Toes." Josh walked in to the kitchen to show off his first pedicure. I must say I was a little shocked and horrified to think of the scene of the beauty school moment. I commented on a job well done, then I wanted to find where he polished his toenails. He led me into the bathroom , where I could smell the nail polish as I turned the corner. To my amazement, I did not find a puddle of pink nail polish on my carpet. He pointed to the cupboard where I found a bottle of nail polish on the bottom shelf. The lid was askew, so I could tell someone had used it. But where did he actually paint his toenails?? Who knows, he did a great job, maybe he can do Mommy's toes next time. 

Trick or Treat

Getting ready for the fun night!
















Clone Trooper and a Monkey...or Ewok :)

















Can't get enough of the Nerds..YUM!

Josh crashed at 8:00 pm and Brett was sent to bed too, but everytime the doorbell rang, Brett was out of his bed wanting to see all the cool costumes. He finally went to bed after I promised to put together a leggo present he got from his Grandma. I always forget how tiring Halloween is for Parents and Kids..whew! 

Watch Out!

We put Josh on this toy Quad and all he wants to do is ride. He will ride by himself in circles until it gets dark outside, or the battery runs out whichever comes first. The top picture is a close-up of the future motorcross enthusiast and the cutest kid ever :) The second picture is of his Uncle Trent showing him how to always include dangerous stunts while riding Quads. 

Not Exactly Disneyland

For our Fall break we went to the State Fair instead of Disneyland like every other family that we know. We saved ourselves the 6 hour car ride and had a great time. We spent surprisingly a lot of money (I haven't been to the fair for a loooong time), but it was worth it. I have to give you a glimpse on what we consumed, at the end of the day, when we took inventory of what went in our mouths, it was quite shocking. Some highlights include, bean and cheese fry bread, hot dog, funnel cake, deep fried twinkie with powder sugar and chocolate sauce (couldn't resist that one!), onion rings, fried zucchini, pizza, cotton candy and diet coke. That was just me! (kidding... sort of )

We did come home with a goldfish named Sparkle and we all smelled like cows. We must put this on our to do list next year..... 

Update

Just a quick note on the ongoing saga of what should be a good night's sleep. Pretty much every night I am up with Josh 2-3 times a night. Some nights are better than others. He is still sleeping in his bed, but when he wakes up (why does he wake up???) he gets out of bed and cries for me. I walk him back to his bed and he always says, "Mama, Pillow?" He wants me to lay next to his bed on a pillow. I am slowly creeping the pillow closer to the door to lay down. Who knows maybe he will wake up and want me to sleep outside his door on the pillow.
Of course, when Mike wakes up in the morning, he says, "Did Josh sleep through the night?" My answer is always the same, "Are you Kidding Me?" Must be nice to turn on the "Off" button when you go to bed - someday I will sleep through the night, I just know it.

Night Time Drama

I am ready to confess a big dark secret….Josh sleeps in our bed. Okay it is out, I am feeling better already. I really could use any advise from the moms out there who are in the same situation. I confess that I thought that parents were crazy for letting their kids sleep in their beds, but now I understand, so I am sorry for thinking this, but maybe I am a little crazy myself. Well I am done with this little sleeping arrangement and I am in need of a good night’s rest in a major way. So, I know I need to tackle this issue now rather than later. Here was my night last night.

9:30 pm
Josh goes to sleep in our bed (okay bad start), I move him to his bed at 10:00pm and am hoping for a couple hours rest before he realizes he is by himself and starts to scream bloody murder.

11:55pm
The jig is up and he comes screaming down the hall to come back to our bed. I meet him halfway and go back to his room. It takes 30 minutes to convince him to lay down in his bed with a sippie cup and a blanket and a promise that I will stay next to him (I am sitting next to his bed, not in it). He fiddles around for a little bit and finally falls asleep at 1:00pm.

1:45 am
Awake again, and out of his bed running down the hall. I again meet him halfway and go back to his bed. Again, I tell him I am right next to him and he falls asleep. I fall asleep too, on the floor. I wake up at 3:15 and go back to my bed.

4:00 am
Josh awake and screaming again, this time he is out of his bed and standing by his door screaming (no running down the hall). I pick him up and notice a wet pair of pajamas. Now I have to change his clothes and diaper. He is more awake and asks for more “dinks”. For a short moment of weakness I think of bringing him back to bed, but I let the temptation pass and put him back to his bed (away from the wet spot) I was not going to change sheets in the middle of this night!!

6:00 am
Josh is awake, not screaming and walks into my room. He wants “up” and I relent. I only have one hour more of sleep until I get up and I did not want to spend it sleeping on the floor in Josh’s room – I did not want to miss the alarm J

Hopefully, I won’t have to spend to many more nights of this – but I will keep you posted.

Preschool

The first day as I was getting him ready for preschool, I thought, he is way to young. What am I doing to him? Am I ready to let him go?? Then I watched his face as he realized it was his turn to go to school. He had his own morning routine of breakfast, getting dressed, hair combed, backpack on and time to get in the car to drive to his own school. He has watched Brett do this since he was born and it was finally his time to be a big boy instead of the one left behind. His school is only two days a week for two hours, but for him it is a time for a little independence and feeling like a big boy.
 

Rainbows

I love the Monsoon storms in AZ, we get a little break from the heat and an awesome show of nature. 

Pics

Wow, Josh looks too old in this picutre. He has emptied out Brett's drawers and is rearranging his collectibles.















We had a Primary Activity Day where we "Heart Attacked" the Bishop's door. The kids learned to be "Secret Service Agents" as they perform acts of service for their families in sercret (hence the disguise!) 

Tag

Lisa tagged me - so here goes...

IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? So Cal - but all my friends and family would have to come too!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? Shoes - they always fit!!
FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? Eyes and smile
WHAT'S THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? I downloaded JT's Sexy Back for my workout playlist.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? Sitting quietly on the beach with Mike.
WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? bedrest
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? Shoulders and neck
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? 7 a.m.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? Cookie sheet
WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? Don't cross my kids!
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Violin
FAVORITE COLOR? Black and pink
WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? Convertible sports car that goes really fast
DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE? Yes
FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Whatever Brett is reading
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Spring
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE? Vacuuming - no question
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? To tell the future
IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO - WHAT IS IT AND WHERE IS IT? Nada
CAN YOU JUGGLE? Hardly
THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? That would cause too much trouble - past is best in the past.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? Monday - fresh start
WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? a blanket, spare tire and I am sure an old sippie cup waiting to be discovered...
WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER ? sushi
WHO DO YOU TAG NEXT? Shay and Lynda

Bye, Bye, Vacation

Brett can barely contain his excitement as he heads off to his first day of school. He had to say goodbye to Game Cube and Cartoon filled days of summer.....

1st Grade

Back to school means a lot of things to Mom’s. It means peace and quiet for a few hours, back to a routine, a little “Grown Up” time with friends and projects to tackle. For the kids it means loss of care free days, new friends to make, new concepts to master, and busy schedules to keep. The kids are already looking forward to the next day off of school while Mom’s are grateful for a full day of school.

Brett is starting 1st grade which means all day school. (Yee Haw!) He has taken to it like a pro, but he does admit that Kindergarten is “way funner ‘cause you get more drinks.” He is sad he cannot watch some of his favorite cartoon’s like Lazy Town (Thank Goodness!) and he is sure that I am having too much fun without him around (only just a little bit). So far, every day when he gets home from school he asks what I did while he was gone. As I tick off my schedule and errands, he likes to keep track of my time to make sure I haven’t left anything out. I think he is keeping tabs on me just in case I sneak in some party time like a secret trip to McDonald’s. Don’t worry Brett, I will leave that fun for you and your Dad this weekend.

Banishing

Ok, Josh is usually the one with all the stories, but I have to say...It has been Brett's day. Oh....this is not a cute story, this is Brett at his most active. (I am trying to stay positive with my comments). We were having some family over for dinner at 6:00 pm. Not a big deal, but company none the less. I was making dinner and the house needed to look decent. So the day had been going well, I paid Brett to babysit Josh (I do this once in a while so he will play with him instead of against him), and I was on track with dinner, house duties etc. As I was in the laundry room, I heard a loud bang. I knew Josh was okay, because he was with me, so I waited for a cry for help and didn't hear anything. I started walking toward the noise and encountered Brett.
"Mom, you wouldn't believe it..."
"Uh...what happened"
"I was climbing in your bedroom"
"Uh...what happened"
"I was trying to get something I needed on top of your cabinet"
"Uh...what cabinet"
"The one with your TV."
I then knew what the loud bang was. He was climbing in the armoire with the TV. I was afraid to go in my bedroom. He was apparently okay because he was talking a mile a minute. When I saw my big TV and VCR on the ground I thought, this is probably his biggest "Oops" ever.
"Mom, is Dad going to Banish me?"
"If you are lucky"
"Mom, I don't want to be banished, if they send me to Mexico I will only eat one meal a day and I will be so hungry."
"I am pretty sure you aren't going to get the X Box you have been asking for. I think you will be paying for a new TV!"

Oh...and that is not all.....
I did banish him outside to play with his brother. It was 5:30 pm and after the TV issue, I pulled myself together to start making a salad. Everything was going great until Brett came in from outside.
"Mom, Josh is covered in sand"
"How did he cover himself with sand?"
"I poured a bucket of sand over his head."
"Stay outside, don't come in!"
Josh was in the sandbox crying and Brett was pretty well covered with sand himself. I told him he needed to take off his clothes so I could hose him down. I thought of tossing them in the pool, but I didn't have time to get in the pool with Josh...so they both got undressed and "got the hose." Brett was enjoying the hose a little too much, so I told him, he was in trouble and to stop enjoying it! (I have no options here...) Then it was Josh's turn. I took off his clothes and of course he had a messy diaper. He did not like the hose and was clinging to me. So basically, we both got a quick hose down. I then put Josh in the bath for a more thorough clean up. Luckily, company was 10 minutes late and I was able to get put back together (physically, not mentally) When they finally arrived, they asked Brett,"What have you been up to today?" Brett's reply, " Nothing."

Summer Vacation

It has been a long hot summer here in AZ, but we have been fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of vacation time. We just got back from Pinteop and enjoyed 80 degree weather with rain showers everyday! We also visited Great Grandma and Grandpa Ballard in Snowflake. We took the boys to the Pioneer parade and they came home with a grocery bag full of candy! Brett said it was the best parade he has every been to in his entire life, I think he is right! I haven't been to a parade where they threw Reese's peanut butter cups and full size bags of M & M's. I agree that is a way to have a proper parade. At the end, the firetruck brought up the rear by hosing down all the bystanders. I thought I was safe sitting next to GG Ballard in her wheelchair, but she was lucky enough to be carrying an umbrella and we all got soaked! We are definitely going back and bringing more grocery sacks....

Pics from Utah

Josh at Sundance Resort. Hey look, there is water in the river! You don't see that every day in Mesa.











Sundance Resort.











That is the name of Lewis Barney. His name is on the "This is the Place" memorial. He accompanied Brigham Young with the first handcart company to travel to the Utah Valley. I think that is 5 "Great' Grampa's" Right Dad?? (Dad says it is the boys 4th Great...Thanks)














Ice Cream Snack - bubble gum flavor of course!

Pics from Utah

At "This is the place" monument. The village there is like a small scale Nauvoo. Fun for the kids!












View from the Confernce Center. First time I have been to the new Tabernacle. It was huge and I was impressed with the artwork collection.















Josh and Fashionista Moose from "Chloe Lane." A boutique on Main Street, Park City, Utah.















Typical Brett and Josh picture. Josh is always trying to catch up to his big brother.

Your The Man

Okay, a couple thing about Mike. We have been to Disneyland and now Utah so basically we have been on vacation for a couple of weeks. Mike has worn this White ASU hat everyday of vacation. Lucky for him, he hasn't had to comb his hair for a couple of weeks. Wouldn't that be nice?? Of course he has to wear it backwards too, I am sure there is a reason for it, I just haven't asked. It has come in handy, whenever I have tried to find him in a crowd, he is easy to spot. He also wears ASU shirts everyday. Lucky for him he has about 8 or 9 ASU shirts to choose from. No question where his loyalties lie.
He did earn his Man of the Year award for changing a flat tire in the middle of nowhere in Utah. We didn't have cell phone coverage so it was all up to him. Mike isn't very mechanically inclined so we all said an extra prayer and since we were in Utah I think that helped too. It took about a half hour on an incline (he told me that made a difference in the level of difficulty). My job was to keep the kids from running into oncomming traffic and also warn Mike if a car came to close to the van. He finally finished the job when it started to rain. He completed this daunting task unscathed and only one swear word was heard. Yeah for Daddy!

First Mates

On our way up to Park City, we stopped by Lake Powell for a boat trip. Our neighbors invited us to join them on the lake for a day and we were happy to go. This was Brett and Josh's first time on the boat and they loved it. Josh protested at the beginning because he did not like wearing his life vest. As soon as we started the boat and began to head out he really enjoyed it. He would say,"Yeah!" as we hit some choppy water and he even fell asleep a couple of times from the motion of the boat. Brett rode the kneeboard and the innertube. He had a pretty good wipe out on the innertube though. They crossed a big wake and Brett did a cartwheel out of the innertube into the water going about 20 mph. When he got back in to the boat, he said, " That was sweet!"











The canyons are beautiful at Lake Powell. This is a picture outside the hotel at the Wahweep Marina. We were a little slow going in the morning, Mike had done a lot of waterskiing and kneeboarding so we took our time to head out for Park City. We really enjoyed our day at Lake Powell! Thank you, Laytons! 

Happy 6th B-day

One of Brett's birthday presents was to go to Build-a-Bear. This was his first time and he was so excited. I actually got a picture of a genuine smile, a nice change from a goofy face when I say the word "cheese."

For Brett's birthday he had thirteen of his neighborhood friends over for a party. Funny how I do not have any pictures of the madness, I am sure I was a little busy. Luckily, I had Mike to wrangle the kids. I would never attempt anything like this unless I had Mike. It is incredible how he can hold their attention for two hours. If anyone is interested, he is available for rent for your next kid party! 

Beach Bums

We did get some beach time before we started our Disney adventure. I love this picture of Josh's feet. This took about 6 tries to get, he kept running towards the waves and every time the tide would wash in he would say,"Oh no, Oh no, Oh no!" and run toward the beach, he did not want that surf to catch him!











Brett would never come in from the waves. He was so cold and shivering since he has no body fat. But, he stayed out until I told him we would never go to McDonald's again. It works every time.












Josh was constantly in the cooler for snacks, he would get out the cheetos and soda and offer it to the people next to us. I am sure they were happy to have a concession stand next to them. 

Been There..Done That...

...Bought the T-shirt and the Mickey hands! Disneyland can be a blast and also an endurance challenge when you have 9 kids to constantly gather and keep track of. We did lose two of the kids right after the fireworks show for about 1/2 hour. When we finally found them, they did not realize they were lost. They had just gone on a ride! They still got a talking too by a security guard who was recruited to help find them.

We spent three days at the Happiest Place on Earth and were very happy (and broke) as we headed home. We always left the hotel by 8:00-8:30 am and returned by 10:00- 10:30 pm and we still didn't do everything we wanted to do.















All of my family were able to enjoy this vacation together...Next year my parents are voting for San Diego, something a little more slower paced than Disney. This is a picture of my sisters. Cynthia (left) Karen (middle) and Me. We are all smiling because it is the beginning of the first day. Good Idea Mom!










The babies of the group were Josh and Rachel. Everyone took turns supervising them while the others got to enjoy the grown up rides. They had fun just being playmates and riding in the strollers. There time came when we visited Toon Town and Small World. 

Lunch with the FIrst Lady

Lunch at the Hilton with the First Lady. Apparently, they let just about anybody in these days. I guess when you pay $500 a head, they don't think you are much of a threat. She was very lovely and gracious and I enjoyed the 4 hours of kid free time before we head off to Disneyland for 4 days.