Mia had a Birthday!!

Our sweet Mia had a birthday! I can't believe that I have a four year old. We had a great day and she is excited to tell me everyday that she can do new tasks by herself because she is four. "Mom, I can brush my teeth all by my self because I am four." "Mom, I can reach this light all by myself because I am four." Maybe she can learn to flush the toilet all by herself so that her sweet sister doesn't keep playing with soggy toilet paper. Hum... We were lucky enough to get dad to take the day off to spend the whole day with her. She loved it. The day started out by her opening all her fun "big girl presents." Since she is four she got a brand new 2 wheeler. I stayed up until 2 in the morning the night before her birthday putting together her beautiful sparkly purple bike. She was really excited about it, but the first thing she said when she was sitting on it was "I just wish my bike was pink." Great, purple is her second favorite color so I thought I was safe, but of course. Lucky for us since there is 2 feet of snow outside she gets to ride her big bike all around our living room for the next 3 months. Since she got to be completely in charge of the whole day I told her she could wear what ever she wanted. I bet you can guess what she said..."Pink shirt, pink pants, and pink socks." Too bad she doesn't have any pink pants anymore so she had to settle for pink tights. She got to drink a smoothly for lunch, then we went and saw Enchanted at the "movie feater", and she got mac and cheese and a sundae for dinner. At the end of the day she said "this was the best birthday ever!"

Party at Grandma Joanne's. More dress ups--Yay!

Party at Grandma Lu's.

Growing Pains

The other day I was standing in the kitchen and Jada was playing in the dining room. I looked over and she was just walking into the kitchen without holding on to anything. This is the girl who refuses to walk. She took about 10 steps that day but hasn't taken anymore since. When I tried to get her to do it for Dad when he got home she did the typical Jada leg buckle. How can a 15 month old be so dang stubborn???

Jada also reached another major milestone. I took her to her 15 month doctor visit and he finally gave me the go ahead to turn her car seat around. She hasn't yet reached 20 pounds, but she is getting there. Maybe by 18 months. She is excited to be facing forward and be able to see everything that is going on!!

As for Mia--we were eating dinner tonight and she was really enjoying her food. All of a sudden out of the blue she says "If I eat all this dinner it's going to make me flat." No that's not a typo she did said flat. Obviously she has no idea what fat is, but I just can not figure out where in the heck she heard that phrase. I swear I never talk about getting fat so I don't know where she got it. I just ignored it, but it gave me a glimpse into the future. Oh boy!!

Not So Unusual!!!

We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! We are sad that it is over since we have been looking forward to it for so long. There will always be next year, and we have already started thinking about our costumes...

The other day I was at the doctor and he was asking me what my kids were going to be for Halloween. When I told him that Mia was going to be a bat he said, "Hum, that's unusual, is she an unusual girl?" My response was "No, she's not so unusual, if she had full control of what she was going to be she would have chosen to be a princess." Since she gets to be a princess everyday we decided to do something different. She looked at a Family Fun magazine at Grandma's and decided a bat would be fun! Of course she wanted to be pink bat, but that wouldn't have been quite the same. She made sure to clarify to everyone that she saw that she was a "nice bat." Jada was a lady bug and she actually really liked her costume!

Fun Cousins!

Scary Teeth!

Words with two meanings

Tonight at dinner Chip was telling me the story about the school shooting in Ohio. Sweet Mia was sitting at the table with us and since she was actually eating her dinner we were able to have a conversation and didn't really think about her innocent ears overhearing this tragic story. Since I worked with kids at the hospital all the time trying clear up misconceptions of words with two meanings (i.e. stool, shot, flush, dressing, urnine (you're in), CAT, sleep etc.) I should have known better. But we messed up. Chip told me that after this boy shot kids at the school he then shot himself. When I asked Chip if he died he told me he did and then all of a sudden Mia chimed in and said "But Dad, I don't die when I get shots." There went all our therapeutic medical play and doctors office education right out the window. Poor girl, is trying so desperately to understand the world and then we messed it all up.
In order clear up the major misconception so she wouldn't be completely freaked out next time she has to get a shot, we had to give her the whole explanation about guns. When we asked her if she knew what a gun was she said "I have water guns." Who wants to tell their three year old that there are guns other than water guns? I guess this is just a great wake up call for me to remember that little ears hear everything and they can only understand it with their little mentality. I am just glad she said something so we could help her understand.

Modesty on Oprah

The other day I had Oprah on and Mia woke up from her nap. She always wants to snuggle and is somewhat amuzed by Oprah.

Mia: Mom, look at that beautiful shirt. I've never seen a shirt like that. (Talking about this green shirt on the right.)
Mom: Ya Mia, that is a beautiful shirt. (I was somewhat surprised that she would think that a green shirt is beautiful since it is a "boy color".)
Mia: Mom, I would really like a shirt like that.
Mom: You want a pretty green shirt.
Mia: No Mom, one were both of my shoulders can come out like that.

Here I was for a brief moment thinking that she might be interested in wearing something other than pink, or purple. I guess not, instead she is already interested in wearing off-the-shoulder shirts at the young age of three. What fights do I have to look forward to when she is thirteen?

King Triton has boobs!

Mia's favorite toys are her collection of princess movie themed action figures. She has all the characters from all her favorite movies and always has to take at least one princess with her everywhere she goes and all around the house. Since Mia has a hard time staying on task at meal time we had to ban any toys from the kitchen. Of course Mia will always try to manipulate the situation by letting us know that "giraffe is not a toy, she is real" or that "Snow White wants to watch me eat." Well the other day at dinner King Triton was "watching her eat." While she was supposed to be eating she was extremely distracted by King Triton's naked body.

Mia: Mom, why doesn't King Triton have on a bra?

Mom: Because, boys don't wear bras.
Mia: Why don't boys wear bras?

Mom: Because boys don't have boobs.
Mia: But Mom, King Triton does have boobs, look (pointing to King Triton sculpted chest).

Mom: King Triton does not have boobs, he just has a strong man chest.

Mia: But Mom look, King Triton does have boobs (pointing more directly at his nipples).

Mom: Mia those aren't boobs those as just his nipples, everyone has nipples.

Mia: (thinking) Oh, King Triton just has nibbles.
Mom: Mia, just eat your dinner.

I'm not sure where the sudden obsession with boobs came from because just two days ago when I was helping her get dressed she said out of the blue "Mom, are my boobs getting bigger?" Sometimes I am not sure where she came from, but at least she always gives me something to laugh about.

The Proposal

Here is an update on Mia's spouse hunt!

Mia: Mom, today at school I asked Wyatt if he wanted to marry me when we grow up.
Mom: Hum, what did he say?
Mia: He said YES!...I guess Wyatt does want to be a prince when he grows up....I love Wyatt.

Maybe next week she might get down on one knee and give him a ring (or a crown!)

Dad's Party!

A couple of weeks ago, my dad turned 70!!! My mom had a big party for him at her house and it was fun seeing all my dad's friends and everyone that was there to celebrate with him. There was a photographer there taking pictures and he got a few awesome pictures of the girls. I thought he took amazing pictures so I thought I would share them.

State Fair Fun

Well, today is the day that the State Fair ends. For anyone who didn't have the opportunity to attend the fair this year, I am sorry! Because of Spencer's involvement in the fairs we have become somewhat of state fair junkies. Some might think that the fair is only for WT, but that doesn't stop us from having fun! As Mia is getting older she is really starting to enjoy the fair and this year we were able to go 2 times! It's is especially fun when Mia gets to tell people that her dad works at the fair! Just to give you an idea of the fun you missed out on I will give some of the highlights for us: the big yellow slide, corn dogs, fair rides, lots of fun people selling fun junk/stuff, super-size buttons with your pictures on them, pony rides, Little Hands on the Farm, corn on the cob, $1 cold root beer, cows, stinky pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies, snow cones, the biggest pig you've even seen, free samples of advil, free people watching, and good art.

This year I actually decided to get the full fair experience and I actually entered something in it! Last year I decided to make Jada's blessing dress (don't ask me why?). After a little encouragement from my family I decided I would enter it. Lucky for me I got a beautiful white Third Place ribbon. Don't worry, I'm not bragging because from what I could tell, there were only 4 entries in my category, but I will probably frame my shiny white ribbon and hang it on the wall along with the $1 prize money check! My talented mom entered an awesome cross stich and she won a big blue First Place Ribbon. Congrats to her! Here are some pictures of our "Fair Fun!"

Not so little anymore!

Mia went to her first day of preschool last week. I can't believe that she is old enough to go to school! She was excited to take her back pack and head off. When I walked her into school that day the smell of the school brought back a few memories. Why is it that all schools smell the same? She gets to go to school with her good buddy Wyatt which made it a good easy transition for her. When I asked her after school if she had met any other friends she told me "No, because they were all strangers." Thanks to the Bernstein Bears she is a little too informed on stranger danger. Hopefully she'll get past it and meet some new little friends!!

Stripper in the Family

Jada is our little free spirit. She puts up a good fight anytime we try to put clothes on her or change her diaper. I used to think the mission was accomplished once we got her fully clothed, but when I went in to get her from her nap the other day, she had proved me wrong. After her first nap...this is what I found. When I went to get her after her second nap, she was sporting only a diaper. I hope this isn't a prediction of behaviors later in life!!!

A day in the life of a princess!

Last night we were driving home from a BBQ with some friends and Mia out of the blue says,

Mia: Dad, who can I marry?

Dad: Well Mia, who do you want to marry?

Mia: I want to marry you Dad.

Dad: Well Mia, you can't marry me because I am already married to mommy. But, you could marry someone like me.
Mia: But Dad, I just want to marry you.

Dad: You can't marry someone in our family but you could marry Smitty.

Mia: (Thinking) No

Dad: You could marry Josh.

Mia: No Dad, I don't think I can marry someone in my primary.

Dad: Well, you could marry Wyatt, he's a cool kid.
Mia: Ya, I want to marry Wyatt. (Thinking some more...) But Dad, I'm not sure Wyatt wants to be a prince when he grows up.

Apparantly Mia is pretty confindent that she is going to be a princess when she grows up and she knows that she has already tried to get Wyatt to play the part of the prince when he was over playing. He wasn't going for it then and I guess she knows she's not going to be able to convince him the way she can her dad. I guess Wyatt is a better soccer buddy than a prince.

The baby is One!!

Since yesterday was Jada's 13 month birthday and I neglected to even mention her 1 year birthday--I thought I might post some pics of her party. I can't believe she is already 1! We had a little party with family and Jada loved every crumb of her birthday cake!

Is he a pirate?

Ever since Mia started watching Peter Pan she has been somewhat fascinated by Pirates. She has an eye patch in her dress up bin and frequently puts it on and gives an "Arr Matey!"
The other day we were at the grocery store standing in line behind an older man (maybe 45-50) who was wearing a red bandana over top his longer gray hair. Mia turned to me and said "Mom, is he a pirate?" Hoping he didn't hear her I just said "No Mia he's not." Of course that answer was not enough, she kept probing--"But Mom, he looks like a pirate." What do you say to that?

What am I doing??

Well, this is my first blogging experience and I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I enjoy reading so many of my friends' blogs that I thought I might try it out, especially since my attempt at journaling was a failure! I will have to figure this out and add some pics etc! Here are some recent pics of our trip to the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful and we had a blast.