T helped me make bread and brought Pez along to watch.  But Pez was too close and got a little bit of flour on him.  T exclaimed "Mom!  Pez is dying!".  It has been a couple of weeks since we saw the salmon but he remembered the salmon that were dying had white scales and incorporated into play.

T was very sweet with E yesterday.  T wanted to feed E his lunch.  And E let him do it, even to the point of putting the sippy cup in his mouth and letting T help him drink.  That takes skill!

W and T played whale goes to the dentist.  I have no idea why the whale needed to go to the dentist, but he sure had a lot of sugar buggies.

T wanted to take some pics with the camera, so I let him use a smaller one.  He thought it was so funny to take pictures of his siblings and his Pez.

E loves the yellow shower sponge.  He loves to lift it up and down and let the water drain off of it.  He usually exclaims "wow" or laughs a bunch.

He also loves the kid chairs, most especially the dora chair when we are inside and the blue outside chair.  He giggles when he sees them.  He seems so impressed with himself when he sits in them and leans back surveying his kingdom.

He also has started to read books with animals in them.  Any book as long as it has animals in it.  He skips to those pages if they are books without animals.  He likes to get all comfy in my lap as if I am one of his kid chairs.  And mommy eats it up

I started playing the super simple song of Twinkle Twinkle for E when I want to cut his finger nails.  I loves it and hoots when he sees the owl.  He now hoots at all owls.  The ones in books and the ones on W's blanket.

The noise he makes when he sees "ghosty" is similar to the owl noises, but he loves to find ghosty ( a stuffed Halloween owl) snuggle him, and make ghost noises of his own.


I tried the marshmellow experiement with my kids.  Supposedly forever ago a scientist gave 4 years an option.  They could eat one marshmellow right away, or wait and get 2 later.  So I tried it on T and W.  I wanted to make sure that they didn't have any toys to play with and they were hungry just in case that's why the kids in the experiment didn't wait.  But they did it!  I put the timer on for 15 minutes while I made lunch.  I put them in separate rooms and told them not to leave the toy free space and had the marshmellow in reach.  And they waited.  T was so excited to get 2 marshmellows for lunch.  He told me that he really really likes marshmellows so that is why he waited.  But the next day he informed me that he would rather have mommy time that day instead of waiting to have 2 marshmellows.   So right now Mommy time is more valued than marshmellows.  Melt my heart, my well fed child.

We were cleaning the church.  I didn't realize how much the lesson of the church is God's house has sunk in until I was having trouble figuring out how to install the paper towels.  I couldn't figure it out, so I said I was going to ask him.  I meant the guy directing the cleaning activities, but T said "Who?  Heavenly Father?"

E and T got hair cuts.  When E was done, his hair was sticking straight up again.  T looked at him and said "E looks like Uncle Erik when he was a baby".  In all reality, E looks nothing like Uncle Erik when he was a baby, but they both have hair that sticks straight up when short.

E is in the phase of perfect mimic of all activities, especially of his siblings.  E even mimicked T's personal care routine to perfection.

Grocery shopping with the kids has gotten interesting.  T doesn't want anyone but him pushing the cart.  If I touch the cart, he is annoyed I'm helping him.  E doesn't like T driving the cart.  E needs to be strapped into the cart unless my hubby can somehow become weathy enough to buy all items in the whole store placed 3 feet high and below.  W wants to know which item we are shopping for next.  And comments on the yummy stuff she sees.  So I stand next to the front of the cart so E thinks I'm steering but T knows I'm not touching it.  I thought I was doing pretty good this one day we got a cart with no child strap.  E wasn't trying to get out or anything.  When we got to the check stand I found out why things were going so well.  E had been snacking.  He had eaten half of one of those huge hot house tomatoes by the time he turned around to look at me unload groceries.  I was so surprised that I had missed that.  I yelled, "E!  how long have you had that!  Quite a while I guess!"  He was a little scared from my sudden exclamation that he immediately gave  me the tomato back.  thank heavens the lady in front of me and the cashier were grandmas.  They thought it was funny.

T was off playing in the living room while I was in the kitchen.  He came back very excited about playing bank.  He even informed me that he put his money in the bank and the bank would hold it there until it he was ready to use it again.  I knew he was pretending the bent cards I gave him was money.  It is either money or train tickets.  But then he said his bank looks like a vent.  Wait a minute.  What vent?  He had put them all in the intake duct for the heater.  I wasn't too excited about that.  I wanted to dig the cards out because they are light enough to travel to the heater.  I voiced that concern to W and she ran outside the minute the heater turned on because she thought the house was going to catch on fire.  I had to reassure her a few times that I got all the cards out and tell T that I was glad he told me so I could get those things out.  And here I was watching E thinking he is the one that needs to be more closely attended to.

T was in charge of the lesson for family home evening this week.  I tried to direct him to a religious topic, but he was not having that.  He couldn't get excited about those choices, but boy, he sure got excited about teaching us about batteries.  We have a cardboard tube that he calls the batteries to his train engines (kid chairs on their side).  He showed us the battery and told us the inside had brown battery acid.  Then he put the tube up to each person's eye and asked them to look inside and tell them what was in there.  Brown battery acid is the correct answer.  J and I laughed about how serious and insistent he was in teaching each one of us.

E was in charge of dessert that particular night.  W was concerned about E being in charge.  I told her I would hold up the choices and E could pick.  I held up ice cream and their Halloween pumpkins.  It was easy.  He picked Halloween pumpkins in no time flat.

Today he made a dump truck out of our IKEA chair upside down and the stuffed animal bin.  He even told me about how dump trucks have two steering wheels.  Wow.  It still amazes me about what they remember and connect.  We talked to the garbage man about 2 months ago about his new garbage truck.  It was him that told us he has two steering wheels.  I don't think we even talked about it since, but his dump truck had that exact feature.

T has been making "hand sanitizer" in the bathtub.  He has started putting himself in the tub recently.  My hubby let him do it the other night I was gone and I came home to no more shampoo and no more bubble bath.  Anyway, they were in the tub tonight making it, even E.  They all give me some hand sanitizer to put on my hands and E wanted to make sure I got some from his.  My little kid is growing up way too fast.

He also has walking up slides down pat.  He likes to load and unload dishwashers, especially the knives.  Aaaggghh!  This phase is lasting a long time.

E does not like shoes or jackets.  Another W

W told me tonight that summer is her favorite season.  Yes, yes it is very true.  Warmth and as few clothes restricting her body as possible.  I think E feels the same way.

E loves to sit in the Costco boxes I brought home.  A few times I heard silence and went looking for him, only to find him in the playroom with his blanket sitting in his box like a secure boat.

He really likes rain and is fascinated with puddles and standing in it while it pours.  Even if he has had his jacket wrestled on him by his mother.

E likes dogs lots and discovered his pjs have a dog on them.  He points to it and barks.

We watched the blue planet a bit the other night.  We couldn't find it at first so Jim put on a recent Disney movie. They didn't like the other Disney movie and wanted to change it so we found blue planet on the ipad that doesn't have red pigment at the moment and they were enthralled.  Even E, who isn't too much of a tv fan as far actually watching stuff.  When we switched it to the big tv with regular color, E ran up to it smiling and pointing, then stood right in front.  Until the sharks swam fast.  Then he ran away and stood near mommy for a bit.

T likes to play little owl.  He puts on different colored owl feathers.  Pajama feathers, sunday clothes feathers, play feathers.  He likes to hoot a bunch and E copies.

They have been playing dump truck.  An invention of T.  He informed me today of where the exhaust pipes and bumpers are on the over turned chair.

W picked hide and seek as the activity for FHE.  E loved it and ran around looking for everyone.  He roared at the kids like I do to scare them when they found him in the hiding spots.

I had a bunch of night time engagements last week and left as soon as J walked in the door for four out of 7 nights.  So when J walked in the door in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday, E ran to me and started crying.  He thought I was leaving and Papa was staying.

But then as soon as he heard the key in the door today turn, he smiled and started yelling Papa before the big kids.

T and W started talking about friends one morning.  They were taking turns discussing who was who's friend and why or why not.  And then there are kids that are "sometimes my friend"  whatever that means.  Then T asked W if one of his friends was her friend and she said no.  So he said, "well, I like to go wherever you go.  Do you, Whitney, like to go wherever I go?"         No response.       Change of subject completely.

Another game they both play is Good Dedo and Good Dedo in Dedo land.  W was playing that Dedo was swinging on vines (her hair was the vines), then T tried the same thing with his Dedo in Dedo land.  "But oops!  Too short!" and he pulled on his own hair.

Rapidly putting Pez in bed before "Alicia gets home from young woman's"

Pez getting 5 movies

W making a fall leaf bouquet

E following and helping W

"blue hair man".  T was running and up and down the hallway with this on, pronouncing blue hair coming and then ripping it off his head saying he got a hair cut because he needed one

E stuffing himself in the basket.

a snake coming out of her burrow

Look!  A snake coming out of her burrow

T getting a pic of E

after E his next photo subject was "little pez" 

W mummifying her friend at the harvest party

E walking off with the pumpkins supposed to be used for pumpkin bowling

The fall color can be breath taking sometimes

Individual shot with fall collor

T in the fal

E with fall color under duress of being locked up



E playing with tongue depressors, but I got the pic because I love baby knees and thighs

 Videos of stuff that make us laugh at E.  Dragging a pot around the house and laughing so hard at getting the pumpkin pulled out of his shirt.  When we replayed it he laughed at the sound of him laughing

writing so soon again because of Maniac

E opening and closing doors. 

E sneaking into the tent

W waking up in the tent

T pretending to be Mr. Carp.   He put fish in the cabinet for me to "buy" and instructed me which words to say to him

E loves these chairs right now

T helping W balance on her new bike

W making her costume

Only W and E can brush teeth at the same time.  It is too close physical contact for boys to be on the same stool and not push each other

E

W made the correct height piano bench for herself

T loves to use the ruler as a speed bump for his car, measure the lengths of his car and see if his ruler is "camoflauged" (same color as his car).  E uses for its real purpose.

T getting the window wet

E loves this little ghoast

I can't believe this new trick E pulled today, that I actually will blog much sooner than I have been lately.  He walked up a slide.  Like he was walking up a steep hill.  No hands on the sides.  Agghh!!.  No worries.  I had my hands right around his little hips if there was a stumble, so I couldn't record it.  But I wanted to.  This slide is a metal old school slide with a two inch side rail, around 18 inches wide and goes to 5.5 high.  It is one reason he likes wearing real sole shoes.  He was so impressed with himself.  He didn't even pause at the top.  Probably because there is no side rail at the top and he had to walk a little bit farther so he wouldn't fall.  And he didn't!  It is crazy.

He has us laughing when he "tickles" the table.  He does just that.  Says "tickle tickle tickle" and moves his hand just like he is tickling the table.  Then he laughs at his own joke.  How is that not funny.  Probably to anyone who is not his adoring mother.

He also loves to play chase.  Shrieks in laughter.

He is starting to be understood by T and W, not just me.  For the words hot, shoe, "side", fuzzy, tickle, and sock.  T and W even told their friend Grace all about it.

I asked T and W who their best friend was last week.  W told me Milli and T told me Grace.  Don't ask me how this came about.  I was so surprised too.  Grace is a neighbor and she is 7.  I''ve never had her over, thinking they wouldn't like playing together, but for some odd reason they do.  I think Grace will get tired of their games in a year, but we'll take it while it lasts.

I washed the outside of my windows with soap for the first time in 4 years.  I've only powerwashed them before.  We actually had a lot of fun.  T put in the soap.  Way too much of course.  So he made "bubble tracks" as in train tracks.  There were bubbles all over the driveway and in E's hair. 

We worked around the house together and it was so fun!  They accidently got bubbles on a bug that was trying to walk away from all their fun.  That was hysterical.  "Mom!  Look at the bubble bug!!"  The poor thing was seriously weighed down and slow moving from the cold air.  But he eventually got away.

The next window I screamed really loud when I wasn't expecting two bugs stuck on the wrong side of the screen.  E thought that was the funniest.  He started screaming too.  He likes to scream to copy us.

Our neighbor has a cat that let the kids get close to it.  E really wanted to copy the sound of it over and over.  T loved petting it and wanted to get a cat I'm sure.  Nope.  It is sooooo nice to have less medicine and sniffing around here.

W has started looking forward to YW two days early now.  Just so they can watch movies.  No worries.  Winter is setting in and they will be able to watch more TV.  You would think they are deprived.

Video.  E usually laughs, fake laughs, and jumps up and down sitting in these chairs, but he just sat and read books.  He likes the animal noises at the moment.

T discovered that the heater vents are "good phones Mom". So he and W spent part of a morning yelling at each other through the vents.

Video: I think it is so cute how E pushes his cars around.

Video:  who hasn't made ice cream on their bikes

october!!

The first day of October was perfect.  It was pretty cool air wise, but the sun came out the second half of the day so we went outside to play!!!

I asked W what her favorite part of the day was and she said playing at the park.  But she wasn't too happy about keeping her shoes on the whole time.

T said his favorite part of the day was playing trains at Tai's house. 

They also mentioned snack at learning box school of bread pizza.  I guess Tai's mom spreads pizza sauce and lets them put on cheese.  They get very excited about that snack.  They told me about it both times.

A woodpecker totally ran into our window and knocked himself out.  I thought he was dead and was going to remove him, but the kids noticed he started to come to.  It took him about 20 minutes to get his bearings but he did revive and took off as soon as he was able.  We were in a semi circle around him admiring him.  E really wanted a touch, but no.  Mean mama. 

I told T and W today was the day we were going to decorate for Halloween.  They thought that meant that Halloween was tonight.  Oh dear.  So we have had about 10 discussions about when is going to be.  The count down has started.

I think some of my favorite decorations this year include a web by the front door.  Everyone helped create it together.  It is so festive feeling.  And the spider hanging above the kids' toilet.  It falls about 6 inches above their head.  They think it is funny.  I did a lot of explaining about how they can't pull on it and the toilet lid always has to be down.  Otherwise Papa will not think this is a funny decoration at all.  It is definitely a big enough spider to clog the toilet.

We went to the fish hatchery, got apples fresh from an orchard and looked at the stars and the moon all in one day.  It was so much fun.  I can watch those salmon jump for hours.  It really helped that it was actually sunny. 

T and W are mad that I hid their flip flops and summer clothes.  They keep insisting it is warm.  It isn't.  I keep telling them that there are cold days that are also sunny.  They don't believe me.  Impossible.

T's favorite activity during a mommy time is checking a car for shocks.  He discovered this with his toy cars.  The cars from Chevoron with the eyes bounce up and down.  So he went to check all his other toy cars.  His die cast chevy Tahoe does not.  Mommy's car does.  E's plastic bike does not.  He already knows that Papa's car has shocks because he noticed them, bright blue, below the truck.

To prep for General conference we set up the tent.  Watching conference was a little too fun and exciting last year, so this year I told them they could sleep in the tent in the house the two nights of General conference.  T was so excited he couldn't wait to sleep.  Which means he didn't sleep at all.  It was pretty cool though, that it hasn't been cloudy and the moon was shining in the window and on the tent.  Almost like outside.  They loved the pumpkin lights on while in the tent.  T put Pez in the hammock (pocket) of the tent.

We went to a fire house open house together.  This year it was really fun.  Or it was the fireman that was there helping.  He got out the jaws of life and showed him how it works, as well as the thermosensor.  Ummmm, how cool is that.  They also set oil on fire on a stove and showed what happens when the oil gets close to the end of burning.  It was very exciting.  They had CPR dolls and I showed them what I was doing at my CPR course last weekend.  But when I asked them what the favorite part of the day for them was, they said the park. 

spider web and orange light ready

pumpkin lights and tent

spider above toilet

E sniffing dahlia

E checking on garden

T and W next to him in fire truck

plugging ears when alarm sounding

T was not shy answering questions of the fire fighters and trying out how stuff worked

T looks pro already.  All that watering of the garden and washing the car.  This is easy

The awesomest playground ever  Almost as good as the dennis the mennis park

Zip line too??!!

September.... it is why people stick around another whole year just to live through

E's little chalk hand and foot prints on the driveway

W's truck pic.  Beginning of August

T's 17 wheeler.  Just for you Uncle R.  Drawn in August

E went through a short phase of loving to put on necklaces and these binoculars on himself.  Of course portable fuzzy has magical powers to help him do this

Dog days of August.  They put their chairs in the water.  Later they put E's push car in and played motor boat because it would float on top and made bubbles out the back while it filled with water

W drawing her lake waves next to her bins

Our almost christmas card pics.  Will probably do a re do because J was asking if it was working

E helping me unload clean dishes.  For real.  He truely was helping me

W pretending to be a tomato plant growing for mommy

The boys hiking

The kids on top of a fun stump

climbing down the fun stump on our hike

T likes hiking as long as he can make dust behind him with a stick

This is a scene I often get to look at.  Watching the kids outside from this window

E playing inside with Mommy while waking up a bit from a nap

W on the waterfall hike.  Of course this is the perfect hiking outfit

T rubbing E's head gently

T really wanted E to go for a ride on his "limo" but E really wanted to pull the wagon while T was distracted

T and W were putting in "batteries" so the "limo" would go.  E was playing along with them looking in and commenting about whether or not the batteries were in there

E watching the big kids play in the rhody bush.  Stuck inside while Mommy folds laundry

E action shot of throwing rocks.  He can do this fairly well for his age

E reloading.  T and W finding some too.  Mommy loving the fall weather and lake

W running along the beach

W loved these flowers and wanted her picture by them, but T had a cuter smile

A pre school lesson.  T did all of this on his own.  Own tracing, own gluing letters in their spots, own making a face on a stick puppet, wrote own name and own cutting out of apple from square paper and leaf from rectangle paper.

W did all this herself too except for the apple cutting.  She got frustrated and wanted it to look  more like an apple so she asked me to cut that out for her.  They both remembered the letters in their name themselves

E loves sitting on things his size.  These chairs, the front porch step and my lap

He was rocking back and relaxing in this pic

On this hike I had left the back pack at home.  It was a two mile hike.  So getting back, J took E quickly to the car because he was poopy.  But he was so sad about not being with Mommy, J stopped at the top of the hill.  When we got there he was so so dejected looking, W went straight to him with her arms open

J having fun getting a pic of the waterfall from the bridge.  Looking down on the water flowing under the bridge

E chalk drawings

This captures the look of wonderment that E often has looking up at the sky or trees.

T picking an apple

W intent on her princess workbook page

T pushing limo.  Definitely the best way to use a basketball hoop

E playing with the wagon

W and T hiked a bit farther to another bridge with Papa

T with stick at look out bench to waterfall

Another cute shot of t with stick

E honking his car horn

"This is what I will look like when I'm 12." pic

Another common past time of T.  Playing engine.  He has a wagon behind him that he is coupled up to

Reading books on a rainy afternoon

A family home evening night.  T picked to make pick up trucks with mega blocks as the activity.  We had a good laugh with these ones

They were all enthralled with the waterfall.  E was especially mad to leave this scene

Fall is especially fabulous here, mainly September.  It is usually really nice.  Meaning pure blue skies starting around noon for sure, but lots of mornings that dawn clear, too.  We had som feabulous days.  T even used the word fabulous a couple times in a row one day.

He noted that the apples from our neighbors' tree are "fabulous mom!".  We do have permission to eat them and they are very sweet this year.  Probably those baby deer pruning all bottom edge ones.  Whatever the reason, they are really good.  I've seen deer eat them and bunnies munch on the windfalls, but I have NEVER seen a squirrel eat apples.  I saw the first squirrel snitch on the other day.

One day we went to Les Schwabb to get my flat fixed.  The day before that it was beautiful, so we cleaned the car.  While we were cleaning the car, T pointed out that my tire was low.  Yep, you are right T, but no worries, it is just a little low so I'll bring it down to the gas station to refill after dinner.  Well, after dinner it was really low.  Like, I'm going to wreck the rim getting it out of the driveway.  So much for that.  Better ask the hubby to change that thing.  So he did.  And then I brought it to Les Schwabb and they fixed it for free.  Took the spare off, fixed the nail in the original, put the original back on, put the spare back with more air, checked all the other tires.  For free.  They worked on it for at least 35 minutes, maybe longer.  And they weren't even Les Schwabb tires.  No wonder they are still in business.

The reason I had time to scrub the grime off the inside of the car was because I had taken the kids to playground, but W was screaming her head off about something every five seconds, so we went home.  Very uncharacteristic for her.  But I might have been at the park or on the freeway with a flat with three kids instead of at home since we went straight home.  Made up for the 25 minutes of continuous screaming we had to listen to to get home.  Even T told W "I really don't like your screaming.  I don't."  I'd rather listen to screaming than be on the side of freeway.  And if I hadn't cleaned the car, I wouldn't have seen the flat in the garage.

Since Les Schwabb is so timely, we had time to go to the  park after.  Boy did we have fun.  All the big kids are back in school, so now T and W are king and queen size-wise at playgrounds in the morning. All the other kids were 2 and under, except for one other girl who must be turning five soon, but didn't make it to kindergarden this year.  She came up to T and W and asked to play.  Of course they told her to go away, they were playing their own game with their own rules, etc.  But she didn't listen and just joined them anyway.  T was the one that bridged the gap nicely.  He told W that he had to stop "his car" to let "his friend" get off safely.  And then it was ok.  They had a ball on a bouncy see saw pretending it was a car, that it got a flat they had to fix, then it ran out of gas so they had to go get some at the gas station.  Most of the time they were yelling "who is driving? I'm not!" and they all took turns yelling it and laughing hysterically at each other as the thing bounced very wildly.  They had so much fun the new friend was SITTING BETWEEN THEM on the bench seat bouncing.  Amazing.

I learned that in kindergarden next year T might struggle more with all that focus on one activity and fine motor skills but he will make friends just fine.  W might struggle more with making friends but will have the follow directions exactly and fine motor time down no problem.

During E's nap we played "kate dog" for mommy W time and follow T around pushing or parking "wildy stroller" around the drive way.  When he got too hot, we snuggled at his "work" under the rhody bush.

We also planted some flowers that I hope last through the winter.  I'm very excited about it.  T and W did really well with helping me scoop and move dirt for about 25 minutes.  That seems like a long time to focus on a work task.

We dropped off flyers for a neighborhood food drive through Hopelink.  I was very surprised at T's response.  He doesn't like walks "but I like walks where I have a paper to give everyone because they always say thank you to me".  He gave out all the flyers.  We also got to watch a bulldozer in action and the construction worker waved at them.  They were pretty excited about that.  They were also offered cookies twice today when we were talking to everyone, so that was fun for them too.

Outside with people, sun and flowers.  How does it get better than that?  All with all three kiddos.  Aaahhh.  September

The spiders love it here in September too.  You should see the size (and amount) of them everywhere.

W is back to drawing tons of pics now that we are home from Grandma's and I am cooking meals again.  Today she drew a "dark dark tunnel through a tree that fell down.  See.  There are the roots poking up".  She would have to describe it for you to tell what it is but it does look like it.  I was also amazed that she chose that to draw because that is from a hike from more than a month ago that we did as a family. 

T drew a pictures of "your Buggy!  And Mommy in the sun!".  It is the most detailed picture he has drawn for me so far and I loved that he used W's nick name to describe the pic.  I was pretty impressed with it and said I loved it, so he suggested I put it up in my room "since you love it so much, Mom".  I showed W his drawing of her.  She looked at it.  And then critiqued it, commenting that it wasn't that good of a picture because "see how I drew the bellies on my people in different ways, Mom?"  Good grief.  How did she get to be so much like me? I guess we need to work on helping her give critiques with slightly different words.  I just told her that she has practiced much more than him.

So W put a pic up of her own on the fridge.  It was very beautiful and for me.  It cracked me up, since, our new fridge doesn't hold magnets on the front, only the side that is above the countertop.  So she had to climb up to put it up perfectly lined up for me.

I still need to figure out a talent of T's that is obvious like W's.  I'm pretty sure that he can drive already, he just isn't tall enough.  He is practicing on E's push cars, reversing and going forward as much as needed to get out of tight spots.  He also can pull shopping carts like nobody's business, even if people get annoyed at the slow speed.

W played "W tomato plant today".  I took out the tomato plants since they are half dead from getting too cold.  Grrrr.  I had them in the hottest place I have, but still too cold.  I need to give up and just plant cold weather crops.  Up high where the deer can't get them.

We also had a fun wheelbarrow ride getting all the awesome compost I have now after four years of leaf piles.  It looks fabulous!!

 

video of E initiating a peek a boo game

Oh yeah.  While we were at my mom's another deer had twins.  Grrrr.  They are creating a huge herd.  We are up to 7 resident deer.  I am so ready to use my hubby's hunting gun.  2  years ago a mom had twins.  Must have been two girl deer because this year we had two fawns in the spring and what???!!  two more fawns at the end of summer??!! Is that possible?  Or maybe it is the older mom??!  Who knows.  But I'm getting irritated.  When there are too many nursing mothers of two toddlers times 2, they go through food like crazy.  So now they are eating things they never ate before.  Like pine trees and laurel plants and hostas.  And of course all the other normal deer food are down to nubs up to the level of a deer standing on its hind legs.  I would also wish for a mountain lion to pick them off one by one, but then it might pick of my kids one by one, so I will stick to just chasing deer off.

 

T on the backhoe at the backhoe park

My carousel ride!!  T was right by "my sister"  W wanted the purple sparkly pony and T just wanted to be by his sister

Maniac baby on the merry go round

Helping each other

The night Papa was in charge of dessert for FHE

All the bubbles used up

E dipping French fries like a pro at the fair

T in his car ride

I'm not sure why there are no pics of T on his tractor because he liked this part of the fair so much, but only have W on her pink one

W ate half of one of these by herself.  Gross, right?

T the bee and W poking her eye through

W with petunias at my house.  Just kidding.  In the plaza on the way to the train station from the fair

E

e

e

Everyone's first Papa truck ride and E's first forward facing ride

This must have been AFTER he finished an entire boba drink



W first bike

"I was just holding it for you, T"  T's first scooter

E likes to play push the toy off the bathtub edge with Papa.  E's smile showing he knows what to do next

It fell in.  That is so funny

knocking it down

Papa also got some pumpkins to prep for Halloween.  T picked out the purple one

E thinking he doesn't get to go for a ride.  J put the carseats in a little too soon before actually leaving

Taking a break from riding scooters at the skate park

Reflective W

W's flower bouquet of clover

T making dust clouds "How much exhaust did I make, Mom?"

 

The video is of what it sounds like to listen to T and W play Thomas the train

E continues to be maniac.  He also continues to be very expressive.  He got out of the car today and beelined it to the slide at the playground.  He totally knows how to use the little kid ones no prob, including landing on his feet at the end of the slide and start walking in the same landing step.  What??!!  Totally a 15 month old skill

He is starting to express opinions.  Like growling, screaming and flinging his arms to indicate he doesn't like peas.  Or pushes T off my lap any time T wants to sit there.  He already has it out for his brother.  Doesn't seem to have it out for his sister.  It is true.  What have I been telling T?  T has been pushing him around for the past year and it is coming around

And he loves to be outside.  He understands all sorts of things.  I asked him "E, where is your portable fuzzy?"  and he goes to get it.  I ask him if he wants to go outside and he says "side".  Of course mom.  Dumb question.  Let me go  play with sticks.  I tell him he needs his shoes and he says "sho" and goes to find them to give them to me.  We are all in love with how he says "huh" about lots of things he is checking out. 

He seems to really like butterflies.  My mom said whenever he saw butterflies he would point and comment about them.  Sure enough, we stayed on the butterfly page for a long time while he pointed and commented about them.  His favorite was the orange and black ones.

He likes dogs like most little kids.  He stops walking to watch them go by on the trails and hopes he gets to give one a pet.

We had Milli over.  T and W have forgotten how to play with others.  Or they missed their toys.  Something.   They didn't let Milli play with them or their toys and games.  Good grief. 

I completely forgot to put the baby backpack in the car on our family hike.  Oops.  Made for a great upper and lower body workout for us.  Thank heavens it was only 2 miles round trip.  And that our older kids are big enough to walk the whole thing no prob.

We hiked to a waterfall.  E LOVED it.  He was pointing, looking and commenting about it for a long time.  We didn't stay long at the overlook because when we got there, it was already dinner time and Mommy didn't bring any snacks, either.  E was NOT HAPPY about leaving the waterfall.  He fussed and pushed to get down.  A little way up the trail, he could hear and see it just a bit so he stopped fussing to look and comment again.  But started up the fussing when I kept walking.  Big workout going up a steep grade along a steep mountainside holding a 25 pound child who only wants to get down to take a look.

I'm not sure why he liked it so much.  We were fairly far away from it, so maybe to him it seemed only slightly larger than the bathtub water stream coming out of the faucet up close.  Who knows.  When I put him down, he laid on his stomach and spread out in the dirt.  What do you want, E??!!  Learn the sign for I want to go swimming in the freezing water down the cliff and maybe I'll let you play...  Just kidding.

He pooped halfway back to the car and then had a real reason for a fit.  Finally J took him and just hauled it up to the top of the steep narrow part.  E informed us that was not the thing he wanted.  But since Mommy didn't bring food or a baby backpack on the hike, why on earth would I be hauling a diaper and wipes?  When I got to the top of the steep part with the other kids, E was looking at me with the saddest baby lip and face and his body so dejected.  W saw it first and ran to him to hold and hug him.  It was so sad and funny that he could express so much sadness.

T had fallen and skinned his knee on gravel at the beginning of the hike.  Darn it.  Not used to hiking in warm weather with shorts on, so skinned knees are a bit of a novelty.  He was walking around on tip toe on the side that hurt for a bit until the bleeding stopped.  But then he was fabulous and played "antennae" with a large walking stick or "gate" with the same stick to protect us from the "snakes" on the pathway.  He also was humming or singing Thomas songs on the way.

I think the only reason W changed from flip flops to shoes is because she now has Hello Kitty tennis shoes.  I think that character clothing is super hideous, but she adores them.  J was walking around looking for his sneakers to hike in instead of his boots since he wanted to hike in shorts.  He was worried about looking silly.  But then I told him if he felt silly to hike next to W.  She popped out of the house wearing her yellow skirt with her pink tennis shoes and pink polka dot socks and it made us laugh.  Whatever.  Just get in the car.  It is getting late.

I found the pull toys for outside in the garage clean up.  E laughs hysterically at the turtle that wags.  He followed the turtle around while I pulled it behind me.  Then I showed him how it would follow him while he pulled it.  Even funnier.  Then he pushed it like a car on his hands an knees.  He loves turtle.

T took off with the pull dog we have.  When you pull suddenly on the string it will woof "bingo" or pant or bark.  T forgot he loves that toy.  He took it into his "green ice cream truck that is big" (the rhody bush that doubles for lots of things) and hung it up.  When he drives his truck, the branches shake and it pulls suddenly on the string.  T told me that his "puppy is happy because he is woofing his song"

For Mommy time,  T almost always picks to play outside with Mommy and W almost always picks to do art or reading inside.  T is smart.  I can't hear when the timer goes off for the end of his mommy time.  I guess it is worth it because we've shared a bunch of really cute moments together and the amount of hitting around here has significantly decreased.  He also is better at remembering to be gentle with E at times since I started doing it a month ago.  J was right. T just needed more focused attention of mine without E around.  I had to give up my productive time during E's nap to do it, but less hitting is worth it for sure.  My house is a mess, though.  Whatever.  Just wash your plate if you can't find a new clean one if you want to visit.  Or just do all the cooking and cleaning when you come.  That works too.

One time while we were playing in T's "green ice cream truck that is big", the bush was train instead.  T was driving the train.  Then he stopped and, with manerisms that matched Uncle S almost to a T, he asked if I wanted to try driving the train.  Then he told me how to do it, when to start and when to stop.  And took over when my turn for practicing was over.  And gave me a hug and kiss as well as a "Mommy!" in his I want a snuggle voice after.  Totally melted my heart.

J got a truck.  Something he really wants.  It is very cool.  Except for it being black, but other than that, it is really cool.  J took T with him to go truck shopping.  T was perfectly content for 2 hours of that.  He came home happy and ready to tell W all about it.  He also got 3 cookies while he was there.

The first night J brought it home, we all went in to sit in it in the driveway.  J noticed that T put fingerprints on all the windows from checking it all out and also noted they had their shoes on the seats.  I've never known J to really be all that clean with his stuff.  The best part for T, though, is that "Papa!  I can open my door all by myself!  I love this truck!"  and his face showed pure excitement on discovering that the back door handles really work any old time.  We used to have a truck with suicide doors.  J said just that look alone on his face made it worth buying the truck.  Whatever.  I know you love it, too, hubby.  He doesn't park under the tree anymore.  In street now, where it is more likely to get hit.....

My mom had to read the books by Bill Peet about the caboose that got loose and Smokey.  I heard the kids talking in that same rythymm during their play at the beginning of the week.  Those stories were still going round in their minds.

Speaking of books, T was pretending to be "Mr Carp".  He had made a "snorkel" out of  train tracks and was running around pretending he was jumping in the pool to get "Otto".  They had put "dolphiny" in a bucket and was giving her "fish food" from the lotion bottle.

We finally got to play with Milli.  T was lifting and lowering all the lounge chair backs at their apartment pool.  Then they were pushing them around pretending they were boats.  Then they were just running around laughing and all holding hands together.  T is really good at playing with others.

I usually snuggle T before bed with him in my bed instead of his own, since if I were in the room with E seeing me, all we would have is lots of E screaming to get out and not going to sleep.  So one night T was getting sleepy in my bed.  I asked him if he wanted to stay sleeping in there for the night.  He said  no.  I was surprised because he is known for not liking to be alone and used to like sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed.  But he said "I like sleeping with Huevo".  Oh!

Another night T walked into his room after mommy snuggles.  It is dark now at bed time, so we gave them glow sticks that night.  As soon as T walked in, E was suddenly playful.  Probably because he saw something new and he just had to touch it but couldn't.  E started yelling "Mama!" over and over.  Each time I also heard T say, "No E!  Mama comes in the morning when it is time to wake up"

E laughs at himself when he is proud of his new accomplishments.  One that J caught on video is E going down steps without holding on to anything.  He is very impressed with himself every time he does it.

Suddenly T and W can write their names.  I know that these type of skills seem to suddenly turn on, but I was pretty convinced they were not going to in this instance.  How silly.  It did.  Today.  W did it last week and T did it today. 

T made a book at school.  He liked it so much he decided to read it to me.  It was pretty fun.  He had me "go to the hotel" because it was getting dark and read to me in my "bed".  He had his cute little I did something kind and helpful smile on after reading it.  I was enthralled.

W cut out her own monster outfit from a paper bag today. The eye holes got a little big, so she ended up making a turtle shell instead.  Whatever.  She had fun "working very hard on it Mommy".

I left J in charge of the kids for a half day. Here is what they did.  They went shopping for scooters and bikes during E's nap.  Then, after E slept on and off in J's arms or in his car seat, they got snack, which was a boba smoothie.  In case you are not familiar with boba smoothies, let me tell you.  There is no nutritional value to them. E drank an entire one of them.  T didn't like the boba bubble things.

After a "healthy" snack they went home and washed Papa's pick up truck.  By the way, riding in Papa's pick up truck is really fun.  E went for his first forward facing ride and loved it.  They were soaking wet in the 65 degree weather from washing the truck.  Intermittently they were riding their scooters around the driveway.  Except E.  He can have his old baby toy car back.  Every time he tried to touch a scooter, it was whisked out of his hands immediately.

Then they ordered pizza for dinner.  E ate an entire slice himself.    After that they picked four different movies.  Various Diego or Busytown episodes, after which they took a fast shower and went to bed.

The next day they were super grumpy.  J told me that his theory was that T didn't get enough sleep.  I concur. But no worries.  He only was with them for an hour in the morning and then another two hours at night.  Another note. E doesn't cry too hard when I leave.  He is already learning very quickly how fun Papa time is. Sounds like an early Christmas morning to me, wouldn't you agree?  It is why I don't leave the kids with him too much.  I know that I have to fight with the guilt of them possibly getting overly spoiled.

Another time that I left with W to go on an art walk, E was in distress.  This was much before the Christmas day time.  He was standing at the baby gate at the door crying hard.  T came over to him and gave him a hug.  He said "Don't worry E.  Tonight we get Papa time!"

At the  art walk, a bunch of artist venders were out doing demos and selling their stuff.  It was fun to watch W get all sorts of ideas of what to draw and different patterns.  I took her to frozen yogurt.  I figure we can be addicts together.  At the end of the night I asked her which one was her favorite vender.  She said "the lady at the end"  The lady at the end was a girl that looked to be about 10.  Lots of confidence.  Talked to us like an adult artist, but was much more friendly.  She was drawing with fine tipped markers and using a style that she told me the name of but I have no idea.  It is drawing something then filling in all the spaces with designs like dots, swirls or check.  She was holding a dog.  W noted on the way home that "I can't draw as small as her".  Hmmmmmm..  I guess it is time to get W fine tipped markers.  Mark that on the Christmas list.

When I got home from the art walk with W, it was dark enough to have a moonlit snuggle in the front with each kid.  Except E.  He just wanted to get down and play in his pjs.  Back to bed for him.  But it was a fabulous and happy night to remember.

T and W figured out what they wanted to be for Halloween.  W picked to be a tulip.  T picked to be a pickle.  J asked him why he wanted to be a pickle.  He said "because baby brother is going to be the caterpillar and last year I was the lollipop.  I want to be the pickle".  I guess last year is the only year they remember choosing a costume.  For some reason T thinks those are the only choices there are to pick from.  E has the cutest mouse costume, so I was thinking of trying to convince them all to be mice and they can be the three blind mice.  But then, would my mom be the farmer's wife??!!  Back to the drawing board.

We have a lot of fun just watching E play.  Doing all sorts of big kid things with his little tiny body and getting better and better at his skills.  He does all these things with such joy.  Pulling the big kids plastic wagons, laughing at turtle and Kate dog (pull toys that make lots of noise), standing on his push car, sitting on his push car, pushing W on his push car, eating the new fall décor berries I put out recently, laughing at the mop squelching in the bucket, squeezing the mop for me, splashing in the mop bucket water, vacuuming behind me with his own toy vacuum, smashing the vacuum with his foot when it comes close to him while he is chasing it, dancing, dancing in mud or rain puddles, balancing his vacuum straight up an down, helping me rearranged the canned fruits and veggies, running next to T, comforting a crying baby friend, comforting W when she cries, clapping his hands, laughing when his socks are pulled off his shoes, squeezing his toes and laughing when his shoes are put on, and eating French fries after dipping them in ketchup like a pro. 

Oh yeah.  For my mom.  I think I forgot to tell you how I know that E can drink his smoothie with a straw.  One day he pulled out my lotion bottle from under the sink and was drinking lotion.  He apparently loves to drink lotion.  I have to make sure lotion and toothpaste are out of reach from him for sure otherwise he slurp up everything.  He already ate W and T's chapstick.  And I use Cetaphil.  It isn't like it smells like strawberries or something.

E's pronunciation is getting better and better each day.  Important words like side (short for outside), shoe, fuzzy, food, W, T, doggie, and of course Mama and Papa.  He has already met his milestone for following one direction commands. 

T has a great ability to memorize things word for word, especially if it has any poem like qualities.  I often hear him directing play about re enacting books.  One of his favorites is "A fish out of Water".  He can say almost all of those phrases exactly and if I forget my lines, he corrects me.  One time he even made a snorkel out of his train tracks so he looked more like Mr. Carp

T also is able to include others in play and make games for more than he and W to play together.  Or can join in other kids play.  During learning box school (preschool) his classmates decided to play construction worker with the cones, chairs and mop bucket.   T jumped right in and W watched from my side for a long long time.

T likes to initiate playing tire store.  He marks the tires on the bikes with chalk lines so you can tell that they are new tires. He also made a sign and asked me to write 'tire store' on it.  We play ice cream truck and his ice cream truck is green since we play it in the rhody bush.  He also started playing mama and Papa.  He is the papa that goes to work.  Then the papa comes home from work at the designated time that W says so that W can go to Young Womens.  As soon as W has driven away from the rhody bush, T pops in a movie for his daughter (me) and the movie doesn't get turned off until "Mommy" is in sight and about to turn home.  At which we play getting ready for bed at a rapid pace.  No need to ask J how things go when I'm gone.  Everything that goes in must come out in play I think.

I had a clock stop working because the battery acid started leaking out. We fixed it.  Then T played battery acid boots with some zip lock bag boxes to protect himself from the battery acid that exploded.  They had put puzzle pieces inside of an oatmeal round cylinder container and it had exploded all over the floor.

T is the most consistent about saying I love you Mommy.  And it totally works.  He also can comfort little E if little E is really hurt.  He was very tender when E fell on the driveway in an almost face plant.  And he likes to take care of the "dog" (the pull toy) in protecting him from scary adults that the dog doesn't know their names.

We went to the fair.  W remembered the carasaul from last year.  T looked at empty spas as one of his picks.  They all loved the pigs.  T parked his tractor bike perfectly in the lines.  He didn't get it right the first time so, without getting off, he pedaled backward to pull in exactly right the second time.  T and W loved the tons of rides that papa let them have.  We rode the train there and back and that was a huge hit.

W is starting to get the ideas of letters.  She asked why Papa is spelled PAPA and noted that both of us have names that end in Y.

She found a plant in the yard a deer had tasted but didn't like.  We had planted it the day before and the deer had pulled it out of it's new spot.  W planted back in its spot, taking care to pat the dirt down a little more firmly.

For some reason some of the videos look black in my edit screen.  But there should be a video of "what to do if the playground doesn't have a merry go round"  or E at 15 months going up and down the slides no problem.  Another one is him laughing at the pull toys and some other stuff that is only fun for grandparents and parents to watch