December 23, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Creating of the Gingerbread House
December 18, 2008
In a moment of insanity I bought a Gingerbread House kit. When I got home I realized my mistake, but being too lazy I never took it back to the store. This morning I decided to open it up and let the kids have at it. Of course they were horrible all day long so I knew that I was in trouble. After dinner I got everything set up. I was half way tempted to just leave and let Greg deal with the kids, but I decided I couldn't be that mean.
I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. There was no fighting. The kids got along really well together and they really got a kick out of decorating it.
I thought that Eliza would put a couple pieces of candy on and then eat the rest, but she put every piece of candy on and wouldn't let anyone touch her stash. She never even ate any. Forrest on the other hand put on about half of his candy and then ate the rest. I thought he would really get into, but he wanted the candy more than a fully decorated Gingerbread house.
Greg was even able to get in on the action. If you look closely enough you will see his tongue sticking out. He does that when he is concentrating. When I showed him the picture he swears he was doing it to be funny, but I know the truth he was really concentrating so he could decorate the tree just right.
In a moment of insanity I bought a Gingerbread House kit. When I got home I realized my mistake, but being too lazy I never took it back to the store. This morning I decided to open it up and let the kids have at it. Of course they were horrible all day long so I knew that I was in trouble. After dinner I got everything set up. I was half way tempted to just leave and let Greg deal with the kids, but I decided I couldn't be that mean.
I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. There was no fighting. The kids got along really well together and they really got a kick out of decorating it.
I thought that Eliza would put a couple pieces of candy on and then eat the rest, but she put every piece of candy on and wouldn't let anyone touch her stash. She never even ate any. Forrest on the other hand put on about half of his candy and then ate the rest. I thought he would really get into, but he wanted the candy more than a fully decorated Gingerbread house.
Greg was even able to get in on the action. If you look closely enough you will see his tongue sticking out. He does that when he is concentrating. When I showed him the picture he swears he was doing it to be funny, but I know the truth he was really concentrating so he could decorate the tree just right.
Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting
December 18, 2008
Everybody is Kung Fun Fighting Well at least Forrest is.
Last night we went to Forrest's Karate graduation. He is now officially a yellow belt. We is so excited. He passed with a 90%.
We are very proud of him. He has really taken to Karate. Of course they haven't started sparring yet. That will start next month. We will see how long he lasts then.
Everybody is Kung Fun Fighting Well at least Forrest is.
Last night we went to Forrest's Karate graduation. He is now officially a yellow belt. We is so excited. He passed with a 90%.
We are very proud of him. He has really taken to Karate. Of course they haven't started sparring yet. That will start next month. We will see how long he lasts then.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
My Little Helper
December 17, 2008
As of late Eliza has become my little helper. She wants to help clean the toilet. She loves to empty the dishwasher and she even sometimes will make her bed without being asked. The other day I was doing wash and was having Forrest put his clothes away. Eliza wanted to get in on the action so I gave her simple things that she could put away in her drawers. I was soon out of simple things and she still wanted to help. I gave her some pants thinking that she would just put them on her bed until I got in there to help. She seemed to be taking a long time to come back to get more clothes so I went in to check on her. I found her trying to hang up her clothes. She had managed to get her pants hung up and was working hard to get a shirt hung up.
I took pity on her and tried to help her, but she insisted on hanging them up herself.
Yesterday we headed outside to shovel snow. Forrest got a shovel and worked hard on trying to help. Eliza of course wanted to give it a try. We gave her a shovel and she went to town. Unfortunately she was shoveling the snow from the grass onto the driveway. This drove Forrest insane, but I just got a good laugh out of it. I am told that when kids are finally old enough to do a job well that is when they no longer want to help out. I am going to enjoy this while I can. Because I know the day will come when getting the kids to complete a chore will be like try to scale Mt. Everest.
As of late Eliza has become my little helper. She wants to help clean the toilet. She loves to empty the dishwasher and she even sometimes will make her bed without being asked. The other day I was doing wash and was having Forrest put his clothes away. Eliza wanted to get in on the action so I gave her simple things that she could put away in her drawers. I was soon out of simple things and she still wanted to help. I gave her some pants thinking that she would just put them on her bed until I got in there to help. She seemed to be taking a long time to come back to get more clothes so I went in to check on her. I found her trying to hang up her clothes. She had managed to get her pants hung up and was working hard to get a shirt hung up.
I took pity on her and tried to help her, but she insisted on hanging them up herself.
Yesterday we headed outside to shovel snow. Forrest got a shovel and worked hard on trying to help. Eliza of course wanted to give it a try. We gave her a shovel and she went to town. Unfortunately she was shoveling the snow from the grass onto the driveway. This drove Forrest insane, but I just got a good laugh out of it. I am told that when kids are finally old enough to do a job well that is when they no longer want to help out. I am going to enjoy this while I can. Because I know the day will come when getting the kids to complete a chore will be like try to scale Mt. Everest.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Heading Downtown.
December 14, 2008
For a change of pace this year we decided to head down to Temple Square to check out the lights. Normally we stick closer to home, but Valerie convinced us to venture out a little.
Our first stop was Hires Big H for dinner. After dinner we headed down the to the library, found some free parking and then jumped onto Trax. This seemed to be an fun and easy way to be the congestion around Temple Square. The kids of course got a big kick out of it.
Once we got to Temple Square Eliza refused to wear her gloves, but luckily for us it wasn't that cold. She would run around until she was too cold and then she would crawl back into her stroller and warm up in her blanket.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the temple looked. I haven't been down to see the lights in several years. Forrest couldn't believe how big it was and kept wanting to go inside to check it out. Lucky for him we have tickets to the Draper Temple open house.
A kind stranger took our picture. It seems like we never have pictures of all four of us together. He was really nice to stop and offer considering he was alone with five kids three of whom were triplets.
Our last stop was the reflection pool. I know there was a lot of controversy when the church purchased the land, but let me tell you I would rather spend time admiring the reflecting pool than trying to cross a busy street. The area around it is so peaceful. This year they had bubble with lights in them floating on the pool with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the center. It really brought home what Christmas is all about.
For a change of pace this year we decided to head down to Temple Square to check out the lights. Normally we stick closer to home, but Valerie convinced us to venture out a little.
Our first stop was Hires Big H for dinner. After dinner we headed down the to the library, found some free parking and then jumped onto Trax. This seemed to be an fun and easy way to be the congestion around Temple Square. The kids of course got a big kick out of it.
Once we got to Temple Square Eliza refused to wear her gloves, but luckily for us it wasn't that cold. She would run around until she was too cold and then she would crawl back into her stroller and warm up in her blanket.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the temple looked. I haven't been down to see the lights in several years. Forrest couldn't believe how big it was and kept wanting to go inside to check it out. Lucky for him we have tickets to the Draper Temple open house.
A kind stranger took our picture. It seems like we never have pictures of all four of us together. He was really nice to stop and offer considering he was alone with five kids three of whom were triplets.
Our last stop was the reflection pool. I know there was a lot of controversy when the church purchased the land, but let me tell you I would rather spend time admiring the reflecting pool than trying to cross a busy street. The area around it is so peaceful. This year they had bubble with lights in them floating on the pool with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the center. It really brought home what Christmas is all about.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Pictures From Grandma's Funeral
December 12, 2008
I can't remember who wanted these pictures, but these are the pictures that Uncle Stephen took at Grandma's funeral. I am going to upload these to a picasa web album. If you will send me your e-mail address I will send you an invite so that you can download them. If you know of anyone that doesn't really read blogs, but would be interested in these pictures let me know and I will try to get them to them some other way.
I can't remember who wanted these pictures, but these are the pictures that Uncle Stephen took at Grandma's funeral. I am going to upload these to a picasa web album. If you will send me your e-mail address I will send you an invite so that you can download them. If you know of anyone that doesn't really read blogs, but would be interested in these pictures let me know and I will try to get them to them some other way.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Did You Know Forrest Is Getting Married?
December 9, 2008
Neither did I, but apparently this past summer while we were at a neighbors house swimming Forrest and a little neighbor girl decided they would get married. At first we thought it was cute, but it now seems to be getting pretty serious. As the little neighbor girl was leaving our house the other day. She said, "I love you Forrest" Her dad rolled his eyes and asked me what we should do about it. I told him not to worry because Forrest had ignored her and really didn't seem that in to it. That is what I thought until Sunday night. As we were driving down to my sisters house we made a game of spotting all of the temples. I then took time to talk to Forrest about the importance of temples and why we go there. After a little while I asked Forrest which temple he would like to be married in. He said, "I don't know I will just let Allison decide which temple we will be getting married in." Obviously this is getting pretty serious. Don't be too surprised when you get your wedding announcement in the mail.
Neither did I, but apparently this past summer while we were at a neighbors house swimming Forrest and a little neighbor girl decided they would get married. At first we thought it was cute, but it now seems to be getting pretty serious. As the little neighbor girl was leaving our house the other day. She said, "I love you Forrest" Her dad rolled his eyes and asked me what we should do about it. I told him not to worry because Forrest had ignored her and really didn't seem that in to it. That is what I thought until Sunday night. As we were driving down to my sisters house we made a game of spotting all of the temples. I then took time to talk to Forrest about the importance of temples and why we go there. After a little while I asked Forrest which temple he would like to be married in. He said, "I don't know I will just let Allison decide which temple we will be getting married in." Obviously this is getting pretty serious. Don't be too surprised when you get your wedding announcement in the mail.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Have You Met My Princess.
December 8, 2008
This is Princess Eliza. She must wear this dress at all times and will even sleep with it. From watching Barbie movies she knows that only a real princess sits on the horse side saddle. She uses her necklaces has a bridle and will sit very majestically on her pony as she watches her favorite princess movies. This poor dress is plum worn out. Hopefully Christmas will be here soon so that Santa can restock her dress up box. Other wise we will be using masking tape to hold it together.
This is Princess Eliza. She must wear this dress at all times and will even sleep with it. From watching Barbie movies she knows that only a real princess sits on the horse side saddle. She uses her necklaces has a bridle and will sit very majestically on her pony as she watches her favorite princess movies. This poor dress is plum worn out. Hopefully Christmas will be here soon so that Santa can restock her dress up box. Other wise we will be using masking tape to hold it together.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Using What You Have.
December 4, 2008
For the past couple of months I have been working on building up my food storage. One of my goals when I started this monumental task was to learn how to actually use my food storage so that I would be storing what I eat. Also if we ever really needed to live off our food storage I wanted to make sure that we as a family could eat it without too much complaint.
In my research I ran across a blog that I just loved called Everyday Food Storage. She has wonderful ideas and I have enjoyed many of her dishes. One of my favorites is the Magic Mix. It is perfect for making a white sauce. I have used it to make Macaroni and cheese, Pudding and cheese sauce. It was so easy and all of them tasted really yummy.
If you are like me and would like to use more of your food storage you should head on over. Right now she is going through ideas for neighbor gifts using your food storage. How cool is that.
For the past couple of months I have been working on building up my food storage. One of my goals when I started this monumental task was to learn how to actually use my food storage so that I would be storing what I eat. Also if we ever really needed to live off our food storage I wanted to make sure that we as a family could eat it without too much complaint.
In my research I ran across a blog that I just loved called Everyday Food Storage. She has wonderful ideas and I have enjoyed many of her dishes. One of my favorites is the Magic Mix. It is perfect for making a white sauce. I have used it to make Macaroni and cheese, Pudding and cheese sauce. It was so easy and all of them tasted really yummy.
If you are like me and would like to use more of your food storage you should head on over. Right now she is going through ideas for neighbor gifts using your food storage. How cool is that.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Just Not In The Mood.
December 3, 2008
I don't know what it is wrong with me, but I just can't get into the holiday spirit. I planned on this week to be my week to tie up loose ends. I just finished my Christmas shopping and just need to start wrapping. I am dreading wrapping those last few presents, but I keep pushing on hoping that if I just get this done I will be able to sit back and relax. Unfortunately I know that isn't the case. There is always something that pops up. This year it is our going on a cruise right at the first of the year. I just found out about this two weeks ago and I really need to think about what we are all going to wear and all the little particulars of the trip, but I am so tied up with trying to get Christmas squared away that I haven't really even given it a thought.
The really horrible thing about it is while all of you will be laying around feeling grateful that summer is still six months away I will be trying to get back into to my swimsuit. I am really dreading that part. Just as long as no one takes a picture of me I think I will be okay. I know we will have a blast on the cruise, but getting ready for it doesn't seem like that much fun right now. Sorry for the pity party. Maybe I just need to listen to Christmas music 24/7. It just might push Greg over the edge, but maybe it will finally put me in the mood to celebrate Christmas.
I don't know what it is wrong with me, but I just can't get into the holiday spirit. I planned on this week to be my week to tie up loose ends. I just finished my Christmas shopping and just need to start wrapping. I am dreading wrapping those last few presents, but I keep pushing on hoping that if I just get this done I will be able to sit back and relax. Unfortunately I know that isn't the case. There is always something that pops up. This year it is our going on a cruise right at the first of the year. I just found out about this two weeks ago and I really need to think about what we are all going to wear and all the little particulars of the trip, but I am so tied up with trying to get Christmas squared away that I haven't really even given it a thought.
The really horrible thing about it is while all of you will be laying around feeling grateful that summer is still six months away I will be trying to get back into to my swimsuit. I am really dreading that part. Just as long as no one takes a picture of me I think I will be okay. I know we will have a blast on the cruise, but getting ready for it doesn't seem like that much fun right now. Sorry for the pity party. Maybe I just need to listen to Christmas music 24/7. It just might push Greg over the edge, but maybe it will finally put me in the mood to celebrate Christmas.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
November 27, 2008
I hope everyone survived our annual day of gorging ourselves. I decided this year to start off with tight pants hoping that it would stop me from eating so much and it actually worked. Of course it wasn't nearly as much fun. Next year I will revert back to my elastic waist band.
This year we had Thanksgiving at the parents. Everyone came over and Jeff even brought Sarah along. There was tons of food everywhere and plenty of good conversations to join in with. And the best part was the kids were kept entertained the entire time with the movie Kung Fu Panda. You couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving.
This year Forrest really wanted some of his cousins to sleep over, In a moment of insanity I agreed. Instead of our original two we went home with five. On the drive home Greg and I got a real kick out of listening to the kids. After telling the kids we would be having pizza for lunch the next day, one of my nephews (who is only five) asked if it was pepperoni. When I told him yes, he got all sad and said, "But I don't want to get heartburn." Luckily for him I had some left over ham pizza that I was able to give him.
Another nephew went into great detail about how mothers are great at keeping secrets. His mom has been keeping a secret from him for almost two months now and still won't tell him until it is Christmas. I can just tell this secret is really killing him.
Once we got home the boys got ready for bed. A couple of years ago Liz had picked up a couple pairs of PJ bottoms for some of the boys in the family. Just by coincidence three of the boys were wearing them. I got a real kick out of them all standing around in the bathroom brushing their teeth. They looked like triplets.
The kids all went to bed at 9:00 or I should say I turned off the lights at nine and they probably went to sleep by ten. Around midnight I woke up and headed downstairs to check on them. One nephew was rolled up in ball with his hands tucked between his legs trying to stay warm. He was laying on his blanket. Let me tell you it was no small feat to get him covered up again. Forrest, on the other hand, had rolled off the air mattress and pulled all of the covers off his cousin. This poor cousin had rolled completely over to Forrest spot trying to stay under the covers. After moving both boys back on the mattress I headed back to bed.
Amazingly enough things went pretty well. My oldest nephew was bored a couple of times, but not too often. The boys played well together and I was able to get some cleaning done. Hopefully we haven't emotionally scared them too much and we might even be willing to do this again sometime.
I hope everyone survived our annual day of gorging ourselves. I decided this year to start off with tight pants hoping that it would stop me from eating so much and it actually worked. Of course it wasn't nearly as much fun. Next year I will revert back to my elastic waist band.
This year we had Thanksgiving at the parents. Everyone came over and Jeff even brought Sarah along. There was tons of food everywhere and plenty of good conversations to join in with. And the best part was the kids were kept entertained the entire time with the movie Kung Fu Panda. You couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving.
This year Forrest really wanted some of his cousins to sleep over, In a moment of insanity I agreed. Instead of our original two we went home with five. On the drive home Greg and I got a real kick out of listening to the kids. After telling the kids we would be having pizza for lunch the next day, one of my nephews (who is only five) asked if it was pepperoni. When I told him yes, he got all sad and said, "But I don't want to get heartburn." Luckily for him I had some left over ham pizza that I was able to give him.
Another nephew went into great detail about how mothers are great at keeping secrets. His mom has been keeping a secret from him for almost two months now and still won't tell him until it is Christmas. I can just tell this secret is really killing him.
Once we got home the boys got ready for bed. A couple of years ago Liz had picked up a couple pairs of PJ bottoms for some of the boys in the family. Just by coincidence three of the boys were wearing them. I got a real kick out of them all standing around in the bathroom brushing their teeth. They looked like triplets.
The kids all went to bed at 9:00 or I should say I turned off the lights at nine and they probably went to sleep by ten. Around midnight I woke up and headed downstairs to check on them. One nephew was rolled up in ball with his hands tucked between his legs trying to stay warm. He was laying on his blanket. Let me tell you it was no small feat to get him covered up again. Forrest, on the other hand, had rolled off the air mattress and pulled all of the covers off his cousin. This poor cousin had rolled completely over to Forrest spot trying to stay under the covers. After moving both boys back on the mattress I headed back to bed.
Amazingly enough things went pretty well. My oldest nephew was bored a couple of times, but not too often. The boys played well together and I was able to get some cleaning done. Hopefully we haven't emotionally scared them too much and we might even be willing to do this again sometime.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
This, That and the Other
November 23, 2008
Does anyone know where the month of November has gone? It seems like this month just flew bye. After this week I kept thinking we still had another week of November. Well jokes on me.
It seems that I have really been slacking in the blogging department. My goal is to blog at least 7 times a month. If you haven't noticed I have only blogged twice. Either things are really boring around here or I am not living up to my goals. To try and get my blog number up I figured I write a little update. Most of them are not blog worthy, but oh well.
This past weekend we were able to ship the kids off to the grandparents house and enjoy an evening out. We were able to see the Bells on Temple Square. I just love listening to the bells and really enjoyed the concert. It was so good that the really uncomfortable seats didn't even bug me. The concert really got me into the Christmas spirit. So, of course on Saturday I had to pull out my Sissel CD and spend the day wrapping presents while I listened. Forrest was not impressed and kept telling me that it is not even Thanksgiving yet.
In regards to the fish oil, the kids have both been on it for about two months. We have noticed improvements in both kids. Eliza, on her own without us trying to get her to say it, now says pin for pink, bub bub for bubbles, Ma, Da, ball, bear and right there. Both of her speech therapists are encouraged by her improvement. Some may wonder if it was finally just time for her to talk. I don't really know, but this is the most improvement she has ever made so we are keeping our fingers crossed. As you might not know we also have Forrest on the fish oil. We have noticed increased memory, easier time getting his thoughts out and greater focus in class. One weekend we forgot to give them their fish oils and the regression was pretty startling in Forrest. He became very frustrated with homework and had a very hard time remembering things. I also noticed an almost stuttering type structure to his speech. Once we got him back on track all of those symptoms disappeared. For now we are going to keep the kids on the Fish Oil. In the future what we do will be anyone's guess.
Does anyone know where the month of November has gone? It seems like this month just flew bye. After this week I kept thinking we still had another week of November. Well jokes on me.
It seems that I have really been slacking in the blogging department. My goal is to blog at least 7 times a month. If you haven't noticed I have only blogged twice. Either things are really boring around here or I am not living up to my goals. To try and get my blog number up I figured I write a little update. Most of them are not blog worthy, but oh well.
This past weekend we were able to ship the kids off to the grandparents house and enjoy an evening out. We were able to see the Bells on Temple Square. I just love listening to the bells and really enjoyed the concert. It was so good that the really uncomfortable seats didn't even bug me. The concert really got me into the Christmas spirit. So, of course on Saturday I had to pull out my Sissel CD and spend the day wrapping presents while I listened. Forrest was not impressed and kept telling me that it is not even Thanksgiving yet.
In regards to the fish oil, the kids have both been on it for about two months. We have noticed improvements in both kids. Eliza, on her own without us trying to get her to say it, now says pin for pink, bub bub for bubbles, Ma, Da, ball, bear and right there. Both of her speech therapists are encouraged by her improvement. Some may wonder if it was finally just time for her to talk. I don't really know, but this is the most improvement she has ever made so we are keeping our fingers crossed. As you might not know we also have Forrest on the fish oil. We have noticed increased memory, easier time getting his thoughts out and greater focus in class. One weekend we forgot to give them their fish oils and the regression was pretty startling in Forrest. He became very frustrated with homework and had a very hard time remembering things. I also noticed an almost stuttering type structure to his speech. Once we got him back on track all of those symptoms disappeared. For now we are going to keep the kids on the Fish Oil. In the future what we do will be anyone's guess.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Passing of a Season
November 9, 2008
As many of you know my grandmother passed away this past week. It has been a time of sadness, but also a time of joy. As we were walking out of the funeral to head to the cemetery my brother made a comment that Grandma's mother had been waiting 96 years to finally meet her. Grandma has lived a long and eventful life. She leaves behind 10 children, 44 grandchildren and 77 great-grandchildren.
This past summer I was able to spend a lot of time with grandma. Grandma needed a little extra help getting ready for bed so I volunteered to help out one day a week. At first I dreaded going, but it soon became the highlight of my week. I was able to take a break from the kids and spend a couple hours visiting with grandma. I could always make her laugh and it was fun to get to know her silly side.
A couple of weeks ago when I came to put her to bed I found out she had been to the ER. Grandma was very tired and didn't feel very well. Things seemed to go down hill from there. She was soon placed in an Assisted Living. Everyone hoped that the transition would be smooth, but Grandma didn't seem to be getting the help she needed and seemed to be getting worse. They soon moved Grandma back home. Last Sunday I was asked to sit with her for a spell. She was very different from the last time I saw her. She was extremely restless and couldn't get comfortable. She was finally able to fall asleep for an hour or so before she woke up and became restless again. It made me wish the drugs worked better or that she could have better drugs that would make her final hours more peaceful.
On Monday I wasn't able to get up to see Grandma, but on Tuesday I was able to visit quite a few times. I left Wednesday morning at about 12:15 am and Grandmas passed away a couple of hours later.
These past couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of emotion. On one hand I am happy for Grandma. She is finally able to be free of this mortal body that failed her long before her mind ever did. She will also be reunited with her mother and husband. However, I do feel a sense of loss. No more going to get Grandma dinner, getting her ready for bed or just spending an hour or two visiting with her. I also feel that we are seeing a changing time. At the funeral yesterday I looked around at all my relatives and released that we might not be together again like this for a very long time. We are an amazing family and we will always have a tight family bond. I am glad I grew up in such a big family with so many aunts, uncles and cousins. And all though Grandma wasn't a traditional Grandma I still loved her and will miss her very much.
As many of you know my grandmother passed away this past week. It has been a time of sadness, but also a time of joy. As we were walking out of the funeral to head to the cemetery my brother made a comment that Grandma's mother had been waiting 96 years to finally meet her. Grandma has lived a long and eventful life. She leaves behind 10 children, 44 grandchildren and 77 great-grandchildren.
This past summer I was able to spend a lot of time with grandma. Grandma needed a little extra help getting ready for bed so I volunteered to help out one day a week. At first I dreaded going, but it soon became the highlight of my week. I was able to take a break from the kids and spend a couple hours visiting with grandma. I could always make her laugh and it was fun to get to know her silly side.
A couple of weeks ago when I came to put her to bed I found out she had been to the ER. Grandma was very tired and didn't feel very well. Things seemed to go down hill from there. She was soon placed in an Assisted Living. Everyone hoped that the transition would be smooth, but Grandma didn't seem to be getting the help she needed and seemed to be getting worse. They soon moved Grandma back home. Last Sunday I was asked to sit with her for a spell. She was very different from the last time I saw her. She was extremely restless and couldn't get comfortable. She was finally able to fall asleep for an hour or so before she woke up and became restless again. It made me wish the drugs worked better or that she could have better drugs that would make her final hours more peaceful.
On Monday I wasn't able to get up to see Grandma, but on Tuesday I was able to visit quite a few times. I left Wednesday morning at about 12:15 am and Grandmas passed away a couple of hours later.
These past couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of emotion. On one hand I am happy for Grandma. She is finally able to be free of this mortal body that failed her long before her mind ever did. She will also be reunited with her mother and husband. However, I do feel a sense of loss. No more going to get Grandma dinner, getting her ready for bed or just spending an hour or two visiting with her. I also feel that we are seeing a changing time. At the funeral yesterday I looked around at all my relatives and released that we might not be together again like this for a very long time. We are an amazing family and we will always have a tight family bond. I am glad I grew up in such a big family with so many aunts, uncles and cousins. And all though Grandma wasn't a traditional Grandma I still loved her and will miss her very much.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Aftermath
November 1, 2008
For some unknown reason our teacher work day fell on Halloween so we did not have school yesterday. This did not really sit well with me. I could see the kids start asking at 9:00 am when we can go trick-or-treating. It had the potential to be a very long day.
To fight this we jam-packed our day with fun things. First on the agenda was a walk down to the river. We called some friends and we were off. A lot of leaves had fallen the night before so it was a blast to walk through all the fallen leaves.
The river was also really low so the kids had lots of fun throwing rocks and getting into all sorts of mischief.
After the rive walk it was almost lunch time so we headed back for a quick lunch with Greg and then we were off to the Dinosaur Park. I don't know about you, but I think it is really fun to go to the Dinosaur Park around Halloween.
Eliza kept walking around and telling me how scared she was. She really wasn't scared, but she likes to pretend to be scared around all the dinosaurs.
After the Dinosaur Park I got the brilliant idea to go and get the kids their flu shots. I know, I know that wasn't really something fun, but I figured the doctors office would be dead considering it was Halloween. I was really wrong. It seems a lot of other moms had the same idea and the place had been hopping all day with moms bringing their kids in for their flu shot. We were lucky and got in when they were in a down time. The other nice thing is they didn't get a shot. It seems now the flumist is covered by almost every insurances so instead of a shot they just had to sniff. It made for a much better doctors visit.
We finally got home about 3:45 and everyone rested up for the night. After dinner I started to get the kids ready.
Both kids were really excited. (I know you can't tell in the picture, but neither of the kids would look at me. Out of the 10 shots I took this was actually the best one. Little stinkers.)
This year it was my turn to stay home. I love to go out with the kids, but the last two days had been so jam-packed that I was really looking forward to just getting a small break. The kids left at about 6:00 and were back by 6:30. Forrest said he had enough candy and wanted to come in. I convinced him to go out for a little while longer. They finally came home at about 7:30 and that is when the real fun began. My kids love to hand out candy. They will fight and race to the door to give out treats. Forrest soon grew bored of it, but Eliza didn't.
She would gaze out the window holding the candy bowl looking for the next group of trick-or-treaters. When we would tell her it was time to go to bed she would sign more and then point to the bowl. Finally Forrest and I decided to help her along. We went out the back door and ran around to the front to ring the doorbell. She loved to open it up and have us yell trick or treat. Pretty soon she also wanted to join in the fun. After about 20 minutes of this we finally convinced the kids they needed to go to bed. Both kids were in bed by 9:00, but I doubt either of them fell asleep much before 10:00 they were so wired.
This morning when Eliza woke up she got her costume back on, grabbed the bowl and immediately started to watch for more trick or treaters. It has been a hard blow to her that Halloween is over for the year. Hopefully we can think of something fun to keep her going until Thanksgiving.
For some unknown reason our teacher work day fell on Halloween so we did not have school yesterday. This did not really sit well with me. I could see the kids start asking at 9:00 am when we can go trick-or-treating. It had the potential to be a very long day.
To fight this we jam-packed our day with fun things. First on the agenda was a walk down to the river. We called some friends and we were off. A lot of leaves had fallen the night before so it was a blast to walk through all the fallen leaves.
The river was also really low so the kids had lots of fun throwing rocks and getting into all sorts of mischief.
After the rive walk it was almost lunch time so we headed back for a quick lunch with Greg and then we were off to the Dinosaur Park. I don't know about you, but I think it is really fun to go to the Dinosaur Park around Halloween.
Eliza kept walking around and telling me how scared she was. She really wasn't scared, but she likes to pretend to be scared around all the dinosaurs.
After the Dinosaur Park I got the brilliant idea to go and get the kids their flu shots. I know, I know that wasn't really something fun, but I figured the doctors office would be dead considering it was Halloween. I was really wrong. It seems a lot of other moms had the same idea and the place had been hopping all day with moms bringing their kids in for their flu shot. We were lucky and got in when they were in a down time. The other nice thing is they didn't get a shot. It seems now the flumist is covered by almost every insurances so instead of a shot they just had to sniff. It made for a much better doctors visit.
We finally got home about 3:45 and everyone rested up for the night. After dinner I started to get the kids ready.
Both kids were really excited. (I know you can't tell in the picture, but neither of the kids would look at me. Out of the 10 shots I took this was actually the best one. Little stinkers.)
This year it was my turn to stay home. I love to go out with the kids, but the last two days had been so jam-packed that I was really looking forward to just getting a small break. The kids left at about 6:00 and were back by 6:30. Forrest said he had enough candy and wanted to come in. I convinced him to go out for a little while longer. They finally came home at about 7:30 and that is when the real fun began. My kids love to hand out candy. They will fight and race to the door to give out treats. Forrest soon grew bored of it, but Eliza didn't.
She would gaze out the window holding the candy bowl looking for the next group of trick-or-treaters. When we would tell her it was time to go to bed she would sign more and then point to the bowl. Finally Forrest and I decided to help her along. We went out the back door and ran around to the front to ring the doorbell. She loved to open it up and have us yell trick or treat. Pretty soon she also wanted to join in the fun. After about 20 minutes of this we finally convinced the kids they needed to go to bed. Both kids were in bed by 9:00, but I doubt either of them fell asleep much before 10:00 they were so wired.
This morning when Eliza woke up she got her costume back on, grabbed the bowl and immediately started to watch for more trick or treaters. It has been a hard blow to her that Halloween is over for the year. Hopefully we can think of something fun to keep her going until Thanksgiving.
Friday, October 31, 2008
It Is Almost Time To Go Trick Or Treating.
October 31, 2008
One of our favorite traditions around Halloween is carving pumpkins. As soon as the decorations go up Forrest starts to ask when we can carve pumpkins. For us we like to invite some friends over to help make the mess. We let the kids paint, draw and carve on the pumpkins. Forrest only wanted to carve his pumpkin, but Eliza did all three.
This Year both Forrest and Eliza helped to clean out their pumpkins.
I even got in on the act, but let me tell you I would really rather have not. You see I can't stand the smell of a freshly cut pumpkin and I hate the feeling when slimy strands of squash slip through my fingers as I try to remove all the seeds. It is amazing the things I do for my kids.
I finally gave up trying to clean out the pumpkins and decided to roast pumpkin seeds instead. These were a big hit. The kids really enjoyed eating them. I really liked them too, but next year we defiantly need to do it with only the small seeds. They were defiantly the best.
So once again we will have jack-o-lanterns on our porch or should I say deck. Greg is always worried that some kids will smash them so he won't let them be out where anyone can see them. I of course want them outside, but do agree to have them in the back. I really don't want to have to explain to the kids why some big mean person smashed their pumpkin in the road.
One of our favorite traditions around Halloween is carving pumpkins. As soon as the decorations go up Forrest starts to ask when we can carve pumpkins. For us we like to invite some friends over to help make the mess. We let the kids paint, draw and carve on the pumpkins. Forrest only wanted to carve his pumpkin, but Eliza did all three.
This Year both Forrest and Eliza helped to clean out their pumpkins.
I even got in on the act, but let me tell you I would really rather have not. You see I can't stand the smell of a freshly cut pumpkin and I hate the feeling when slimy strands of squash slip through my fingers as I try to remove all the seeds. It is amazing the things I do for my kids.
I finally gave up trying to clean out the pumpkins and decided to roast pumpkin seeds instead. These were a big hit. The kids really enjoyed eating them. I really liked them too, but next year we defiantly need to do it with only the small seeds. They were defiantly the best.
So once again we will have jack-o-lanterns on our porch or should I say deck. Greg is always worried that some kids will smash them so he won't let them be out where anyone can see them. I of course want them outside, but do agree to have them in the back. I really don't want to have to explain to the kids why some big mean person smashed their pumpkin in the road.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Too Much Fun For One Night
October 29, 2008
On Monday we had our annual Halloween Party. Monday did not start off so hot. For school Eliza was supposed to dress up. I spent extra time doing her hair and getting her all ready. When it was time to put on her costume she refused. I wrestled with her for a couple minutes and then figured it wasn't worth. I then went and got a Halloween shirt. Unfortunately it was dirty so I tried on another Halloween shirt that had some strange blue tint to it. I took that shirt off and put the other shirt back on even though it was dirty. By then the bus was there so I shoved her out the door. As I was walking in I realized I had never even fed her breakfast. I must be losing it. Good thing they give the snacks early at preschool.
Since Eliza really didn't want to wear her costume I was a little worried about the Halloween Party. But I shouldn't have worried at all. she was more than happy to put on her dress. On a side note when I got her ready for school on Tuesday she threw a major hissy fit because I wouldn't let her wear her costume to school. Go figure.
Once we got everyone there we started to take pictures. Forrest was really nice and offered to hold my niece during the pictures.
After pictures we decorated pumpkins. Valerie had found these really cool stickers that the kids could put directly on their pumpkins. The kids had a great time with it.
After pumpkins we went outside for our annual pinata. I was very disappointed in this one. It broke really early. Of course the kids didn't really care. Most of them are just happy to get the candy.
Of course I think some would have loved to take another whack at it.
Of course after the pinata breaks you have the carnage of the scrounging for the candy.
Once the candy was distributed then every sat around talking. I tried to get some more pictures. It seems easier to feed some kids to keep them still.
Other kids you just have to tell them to flex their muscles. It was great night and I can't wait to do it all again next year.
On Monday we had our annual Halloween Party. Monday did not start off so hot. For school Eliza was supposed to dress up. I spent extra time doing her hair and getting her all ready. When it was time to put on her costume she refused. I wrestled with her for a couple minutes and then figured it wasn't worth. I then went and got a Halloween shirt. Unfortunately it was dirty so I tried on another Halloween shirt that had some strange blue tint to it. I took that shirt off and put the other shirt back on even though it was dirty. By then the bus was there so I shoved her out the door. As I was walking in I realized I had never even fed her breakfast. I must be losing it. Good thing they give the snacks early at preschool.
Since Eliza really didn't want to wear her costume I was a little worried about the Halloween Party. But I shouldn't have worried at all. she was more than happy to put on her dress. On a side note when I got her ready for school on Tuesday she threw a major hissy fit because I wouldn't let her wear her costume to school. Go figure.
Once we got everyone there we started to take pictures. Forrest was really nice and offered to hold my niece during the pictures.
After pictures we decorated pumpkins. Valerie had found these really cool stickers that the kids could put directly on their pumpkins. The kids had a great time with it.
After pumpkins we went outside for our annual pinata. I was very disappointed in this one. It broke really early. Of course the kids didn't really care. Most of them are just happy to get the candy.
Of course I think some would have loved to take another whack at it.
Of course after the pinata breaks you have the carnage of the scrounging for the candy.
Once the candy was distributed then every sat around talking. I tried to get some more pictures. It seems easier to feed some kids to keep them still.
Other kids you just have to tell them to flex their muscles. It was great night and I can't wait to do it all again next year.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Last Day Playing in the Sun
October 26, 2008
Now some of you may be wondering why, if I don't really care for Las Vegas, why did we go down there. About 4 years ago we went down around Thanksgiving for Greg's side of the family. Shirley hates to cook and would rather travel on a holiday. While we were down there Greg and I stopped and saw the Hoover Dam. Forrest at the time was only 18 months old so we left him back at the condo so he could take a nap. Fast forward four years. The new transformers movie comes out and I causally mention that we have been to the Hoover Dam. When Forrest realizes that we left him home he makes it is life's mission to convince us to take him there. I think there was a major guilt trip going on. Greg and I stood firm but Shirley caved and got another condo down in Las Vegas so that Forrest could see the great Hoover Dam.
For our trip we saved the best for last. Our last day we drove up to Hoover Dam. We even payed to take the tour. Forrest and Greg were completely fascinated. Eliza and I not so much.
Once we got outside Forrest insisted on having his picture taken so he could prove he had been at the spot where the transformers were.
Greg on the other hand was completely fascinated with the new road they are building. The new plan is to come back in 2010 so we can drive over the newfangled bridge. I trust engineers and all, but I just might get out and let everyone else drive over and then come back and pick me up.
After Hoover Dam we headed over to Lake Mead. We had hoped that they would have some nice beaches, but the one we wanted to go to was pretty far away so we settled on this one. It wasn't all that. We spent a couple of hours playing in the water and then headed back to our condo. We of course had to go swimming one last time. After that we were all pretty beat so we holed up in our condo for dinner and went to bed early to get ready for our 7 hour drive home.
Now some of you may be wondering why, if I don't really care for Las Vegas, why did we go down there. About 4 years ago we went down around Thanksgiving for Greg's side of the family. Shirley hates to cook and would rather travel on a holiday. While we were down there Greg and I stopped and saw the Hoover Dam. Forrest at the time was only 18 months old so we left him back at the condo so he could take a nap. Fast forward four years. The new transformers movie comes out and I causally mention that we have been to the Hoover Dam. When Forrest realizes that we left him home he makes it is life's mission to convince us to take him there. I think there was a major guilt trip going on. Greg and I stood firm but Shirley caved and got another condo down in Las Vegas so that Forrest could see the great Hoover Dam.
For our trip we saved the best for last. Our last day we drove up to Hoover Dam. We even payed to take the tour. Forrest and Greg were completely fascinated. Eliza and I not so much.
Once we got outside Forrest insisted on having his picture taken so he could prove he had been at the spot where the transformers were.
Greg on the other hand was completely fascinated with the new road they are building. The new plan is to come back in 2010 so we can drive over the newfangled bridge. I trust engineers and all, but I just might get out and let everyone else drive over and then come back and pick me up.
After Hoover Dam we headed over to Lake Mead. We had hoped that they would have some nice beaches, but the one we wanted to go to was pretty far away so we settled on this one. It wasn't all that. We spent a couple of hours playing in the water and then headed back to our condo. We of course had to go swimming one last time. After that we were all pretty beat so we holed up in our condo for dinner and went to bed early to get ready for our 7 hour drive home.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Las Vegas Day 2
October 24, 2008
I am sure all of you have been waiting on pins and needles to find out how our Las Vegas trip went. Lucky for you I finally have a couple minutes to sit down and blog. Needless to say this week has been crazy. I thought when the kids went back to school things would calm down and I would get a nice break, but it seems to be the complete opposite. We are more busy now then we were during the summer. Oh well, what can you do.
On Day 2 of our trip we started off our morning in the swimming pool. The place we were staying at had three swimming pools. The problem was they only got sunlight for about 4 hours during the day. During the hot summer I a sure this isn't a big deal, but for us it was a little cold.
When we headed out we hit the smallest swimming pool because it had a little bit of sun. Forrest was not happy. He wanted to go to the big pool where he could touch. He pouted until we finally left and headed over to the other pool. Of course once we were there they played in the deep end for the first 30 minutes that we were there. Little stinkers.
Eliza had a blast. She loves swimming and playing in the water. I think she would have been content to stay there all day.
The kids had a ton of fun. Forrest would chase Eliza through the pool trying to catch her. She would run away screaming. I thought this was a great action shot. Forrest trying to tackle his poor baby sister who is loving every minute of it.
After lunch we headed off to the Lied Children's Science Museum. If you ever have to go to Las Vegas with kids I highly recommend this place. The kids had a blast. Everything is hands on. We could have spent all day here.
Forrest favorite part was the Quarry worker. You would load the pretend rocks on the conveyor belt. From there they would fall in the buckets and then be delivered to the truck. It was a lot of fun. Greg even got in on this fun.
Eliza's favorite thing was dressing up as a princess and performing on stage. She tried on every dress they had there. She would then get up on the stage and dance to the music they had playing. Defiantly a big hit in our book.
This was a fun place. I am glad we found it. If we go back hopefully we will be able to do it again.
On our way back to the condo we stopped at Circus Circus. Both kids played some games in the arcade and even won some stuff animals. After we ran out of money we hit the buffet and then headed home to bed. Another great day.
I am sure all of you have been waiting on pins and needles to find out how our Las Vegas trip went. Lucky for you I finally have a couple minutes to sit down and blog. Needless to say this week has been crazy. I thought when the kids went back to school things would calm down and I would get a nice break, but it seems to be the complete opposite. We are more busy now then we were during the summer. Oh well, what can you do.
On Day 2 of our trip we started off our morning in the swimming pool. The place we were staying at had three swimming pools. The problem was they only got sunlight for about 4 hours during the day. During the hot summer I a sure this isn't a big deal, but for us it was a little cold.
When we headed out we hit the smallest swimming pool because it had a little bit of sun. Forrest was not happy. He wanted to go to the big pool where he could touch. He pouted until we finally left and headed over to the other pool. Of course once we were there they played in the deep end for the first 30 minutes that we were there. Little stinkers.
Eliza had a blast. She loves swimming and playing in the water. I think she would have been content to stay there all day.
The kids had a ton of fun. Forrest would chase Eliza through the pool trying to catch her. She would run away screaming. I thought this was a great action shot. Forrest trying to tackle his poor baby sister who is loving every minute of it.
After lunch we headed off to the Lied Children's Science Museum. If you ever have to go to Las Vegas with kids I highly recommend this place. The kids had a blast. Everything is hands on. We could have spent all day here.
Forrest favorite part was the Quarry worker. You would load the pretend rocks on the conveyor belt. From there they would fall in the buckets and then be delivered to the truck. It was a lot of fun. Greg even got in on this fun.
Eliza's favorite thing was dressing up as a princess and performing on stage. She tried on every dress they had there. She would then get up on the stage and dance to the music they had playing. Defiantly a big hit in our book.
This was a fun place. I am glad we found it. If we go back hopefully we will be able to do it again.
On our way back to the condo we stopped at Circus Circus. Both kids played some games in the arcade and even won some stuff animals. After we ran out of money we hit the buffet and then headed home to bed. Another great day.
Monday, October 20, 2008
We're Back
October 20, 2008
Did you miss us? What you didn't even know we were gone. Some family you are. Well anyways we just got back from Vegas. I wasn't too sure about this vacation. I really don't think Vegas is a family destination, but we made do.
We left on Wednesday right after Forrest got out of school. We made pretty good time and were in our hotel by about 8:30 pm. After exploring our surroundings we headed to bed.
On Thursday we let everyone sleep in. After exploring the hotel a little we headed off to find a gas station. The concierge gave us bad directions to their local Costco so we spent some time exploring the outer regions of Las Vegas. After getting gas we headed to Springs Preserve.
Shirley had heard about this place from a friend so we decided to check it out.
This was a very kid friendly place. They had quite a few hands on activities for the kids to work on. One of our favorites was the flash flood demo. They had you stand in a room on a platform. You were positioned as if you were in a narrow canyon. After explaining the dangers of flash floods they let the water loose. They kids loved it and ran around screaming as the water roared right under our feet.
They also had some desert animals for the kids to look at. The place kept us pretty busy until lunch time. Unfortunately they didn't allow food inside and we really didn't want to eat at Wolfgang Puck's cafe. Luckily I had packed a lunch and we had a picnic in the car. After lunch we headed back inside. We checked out the gardens and played for quite awhile in the kids play area.
There was a huge sand box that Eliza spent most of the time running in.
Forrest on the other hand loved to climb the giant Mammoth bones. Our last stop was their scarecrow exhibit that they had for Halloween. The scarecrows were pretty inventive.
My favorite was the bride and groom. They looked pretty gruesome, but all Eliza cared about was the beautiful wedding dress. She kept pointing to it to show us all how pretty it was.
We finally called it quits and headed back to the condo to swim. At 4:00 we got all cleaned up and headed out on the strip. Forrest really wanted to go to the M&M store and we planned on eating at the Rain forest Cafe in the MGM.
At the M&M store I let each kid pick out one thing. When they rang us up the lady gave each kid their own bag. They both got such a kick out of this. Both kids carried their little bags with them whole time we were out.
The Rain forest Cafe was overpriced and nosy, but the kids really enjoyed it.
After a quick stop to see the lions we headed home and to bed.
Did you miss us? What you didn't even know we were gone. Some family you are. Well anyways we just got back from Vegas. I wasn't too sure about this vacation. I really don't think Vegas is a family destination, but we made do.
We left on Wednesday right after Forrest got out of school. We made pretty good time and were in our hotel by about 8:30 pm. After exploring our surroundings we headed to bed.
On Thursday we let everyone sleep in. After exploring the hotel a little we headed off to find a gas station. The concierge gave us bad directions to their local Costco so we spent some time exploring the outer regions of Las Vegas. After getting gas we headed to Springs Preserve.
Shirley had heard about this place from a friend so we decided to check it out.
This was a very kid friendly place. They had quite a few hands on activities for the kids to work on. One of our favorites was the flash flood demo. They had you stand in a room on a platform. You were positioned as if you were in a narrow canyon. After explaining the dangers of flash floods they let the water loose. They kids loved it and ran around screaming as the water roared right under our feet.
They also had some desert animals for the kids to look at. The place kept us pretty busy until lunch time. Unfortunately they didn't allow food inside and we really didn't want to eat at Wolfgang Puck's cafe. Luckily I had packed a lunch and we had a picnic in the car. After lunch we headed back inside. We checked out the gardens and played for quite awhile in the kids play area.
There was a huge sand box that Eliza spent most of the time running in.
Forrest on the other hand loved to climb the giant Mammoth bones. Our last stop was their scarecrow exhibit that they had for Halloween. The scarecrows were pretty inventive.
My favorite was the bride and groom. They looked pretty gruesome, but all Eliza cared about was the beautiful wedding dress. She kept pointing to it to show us all how pretty it was.
We finally called it quits and headed back to the condo to swim. At 4:00 we got all cleaned up and headed out on the strip. Forrest really wanted to go to the M&M store and we planned on eating at the Rain forest Cafe in the MGM.
At the M&M store I let each kid pick out one thing. When they rang us up the lady gave each kid their own bag. They both got such a kick out of this. Both kids carried their little bags with them whole time we were out.
The Rain forest Cafe was overpriced and nosy, but the kids really enjoyed it.
After a quick stop to see the lions we headed home and to bed.
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