Tree Huggers

I recently was asked if I was one of "those tree-huggers." I proudly answered, "Yes, I am." Although I don't think I have ever actually hugged a tree, my kids take a more literal approach to the expression.

Steve was sick today, so I took the kids to Shaver's Creek which is an environmental center. It has a lot of trails, an interpretive center, and a bird conservatory. We were the only ones there for awhile so the kids got a little more attention and got to touch a rat snake and a turtle. Sadie didn't really want anything to do with the snake and Dallin called the snake "nase" and the turtle "terse." He really loved looking at the turtles. In fact, there was turtle shell on the touch table and he kept wanting to return it to the turtles in the cages.

Then we went on a short hike. Dallin walked most of the way, but was getting slower and slower so I had to hoist him up on my shoulders. They both had a lot of fun. I can't wait for spring . . . I'll bring them back up there to see all the wild flowers. Here are some pictures from the hike.

Mud

While I welcome the warmer weather, there is something I wish I could banish . . . MUD! We had a lot of ice this winter and not a lot of good drainage in our courtyard. Someone was smart enough to drive their little truck through the grass and got stuck. The result was this mud pit. At first it was a lot of fun. All the kids were outside playing in the mud and having a great time. As you can see, Sadie was covered in mud. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Dallin (He's already in the bath with mud in his ear even) They had so much fun, but please, I'm ready for some warmer weather and some grass replacement. Last week the same guy drove on the grass and got stuck again! Unbelievable! And yet, it's true. Maybe he's trying to screw up the lawn so bad that they will be forced to redo the entire thing.
Anyway, I we can't go outside now without Dallin running for the mud pit and then falling once he gets there. I'm ready for warmer days like these!

Before and After

This Valentine's Day a tradition was created with Steve taking Sadie to a Daddy/Daughter Dance sponsored by the YMCA. This is last year's picture. She doesn't look too excited but I think she had an excellent time because she has been looking forward to it all year. Every time we drove by the Ramada, she would yell out, "Daddy-Daughter Dance." Sometimes she would ask when Valentines Day was or, "Is it February yet?" So as the day came closer, she became more and more excited.

The big day arrived, it was a little hard for her because the dance was the day after Valentines Day, but she was able to handle it with grace. She had her outfit picked out days before but changed her mind at the last minute. She even helped Steve pick out what he wore. She wanted him to wear a tie, but he didn't. They compromised.




I think she looks beautiful. And she has grown up so much. But wait . . . could that handsome man possibly be her father? Is that my hubby? Wow. The change has been amazing. Steve has lost about 100 pounds. But looking at these pictures really shows how hard he has been working. We thought everyone would like to see the before and after pictures. It's too bad he wasn't on some weight loss program because we could be making big bucks with some endorsement. Maybe not big bucks, but at least some little bucks.

Most people who don't see Steve too often have to do double takes or don't recognize him at all. For someone who doesn't like change very much, he sure has changed a lot in the last few years. (We even had to resize his wedding band!)

Interest or Obsession?

Recently Sadie has taken a keen interest in dogs; puppies to be more specific. Since we cannot have a dog, or any pet for that matter, she has bestowed her love on stuffed animals. For Christmas she got a cute puppy that she named Chocolaty. She sleeps with it every night and not too many days go by without her telling me how much she loves her puppy. After Chocolaty joined our family she also renewed some interest in her other stuffed dogs (4 total). She talks about dogs and she draws and writes about them all the time. We've even looked up different breeds to decide what kind of dog Chocolaty is and what kind of dog we would get if we could get a dog.

The other day Sadie and I were at the store and she wanted to buy another stuffed puppy. I told her she could earn money to buy it herself. She didn't like the idea very much. She proceeded to complain about how she doesn't have enough puppies and stuffed animals. It made me wonder exactly how many she has. We did an inventory. . .

We have 50 Stuffed Animals

So now, whenever Sadie complains about not getting a new stuffed animal, I can just pull out this photo to remind her what a lucky girl she is!!
Judging by the look on her face, I would say that she agrees! By the way, the beloved Chocolaty is the one on her head.

If you are ever wondering what gift to give Sadie, you can never, ever go wrong with a stuffed animal . . . especially a puppy.

Our Mornings

Every morning at about 6:30 Dallin wakes up. I can almost set my clock to his wake-up time. He will usually go and find a toy and play for awhile (I think this is usually his 'poop' time too) Then he comes and finds me. I don't know how he knows it, but he whispers in the morning. He'll come into our room and whisper to me or he will play with my toes if they are sticking out. Then he climbs into bed with me . . . I realize that he is poopy, so I make him get out because the pull-ups he wears at night are not the best protection. I'll usually have him go wake up Sadie because for some reason she responds better to him waking her up.

This morning was a little different. Yes, it was still 6:30 and we still had the poop, but Sadie woke up earlier, so Dallin and I went into their room and Dallin said, "Good Morning" It was so cute. I know it's not that amazing, but it is for me. It's so fun to listen to him develop his language skills. It can also be quite frustrating at times when I can't figure out that "ous" means outside or "nosssse" means snow instead of nose. And lots of other things that I really haven't figured out yet.

Another cute thing that Dallin has been doing for awhile calling himself the baby. It started one time when Steve and I were hugging and Dallin didn't think that was very cool, so he came to me and indicated that he wanted to be picked up. Then he pointed to himself and said,"Baby, baby." So I hugged him and said, "Of course you are my baby." Now he does the same thing if he wants some attention. Although, now he is being a little selective because the other day he pointed to himself and said, "baby. no. dallin." I think the translation is, "I'm not a baby, I'm Dallin." I told him that he will always be my baby and I explained that Sadie was my baby too. He seemed to get a kick out of that because he pointed to Sadie and said, "Ga-ga. baby." And as you know, Ga-ga means Sadie.

I never thought I would be one of those parents who thinks that their child is the absolute greatest, but I have to to admit it. My kids are better than all of your kids combined. They are the smartest, cutest, healthiest, strongest, bestest kids in the world. I guess if I claim that, I would also have to admit that they can be the most obnoxious, clingy, whiny, and brattiest kids in the world. I have some days where I feel that way. On those days I try to take a little extra time at the end of the day and watch them while they sleep. It doesn't take very long for me to remember that they really are the bestest in the world. I think that is my best piece of advice: Watch you kids while they sleep. Everything seems to slip into perspective while you do that.

This blog post got a little off focus, sorry . . . the rest of our mornings usually include breakfast, cartoons, getting Sadie off to school, and going to the YMCA, but this morning I went back to bed after a little passive-aggressive behavior and I let Steve take care of everything else. Thanks sweetie for taking the wheel this morning. I love you.

Ga-Ga

I was thinking about weird things about our family and this is one that I think is kind of funny. Dallin calls Sadie "Ga-ga". We think it started because he couldn't do s-sounds, but now he does, in fact he puts and s at the end of almost every word. He has been calling Sadie "Ga-ga" since about the time he turned 2. That's not the weird thing. . . Sadie decided that she likes that, so she calls him "Ga-ga". So now it's kind a nickname for eachother. Confusing, right? Well, even though I think it's kind of weird, I go with it.

Now it gets really strange. . . Sometimes Steve and I forget ourselves and refer to one of the kids as "Ga-ga". It can all be very confusing because "Ga-ga" can mean either child. (It usually means Sadie) Does anyone else find this strange?

Bunk beds

Although this may not change the course of anyone else's life, it has been a big deal to our family. We are now officially crib free. We were able to get some new/used bunk beds from someone and all together only spent about $300 on the entire thing! We were stoked about the deal. Dallin and Sadie both love it. They especially love it when we climb on the top bunk with them. Dallin is really good about climbing up and down. I think he likes to show off. What do you think?