we just can't wait

Halloween might be my favorite holiday to enjoy with my kids.

Yesterday we decorated the entire house. So we're three days premature of October. So what.

Jack tried on his entire Pirate costume, complete with eyeliner mustaches and mock sword fights.

Lucy got decked out in her Ariel wig and her homemade shell headpiece.

Together they walked the neighborhood and waved to cars passing by. Then they spent the rest of the day lounging in their costumes.

foot fetish

Sammy has a bad case of toe jam.

As in...he can't stop jamming his toes into his mouth!

He loves his tasty digits. He gnaws on them until they are a drooly mess. They keep him entertained on the floor for at least a 1/2 hour.

His eye hand coordination is still developing, so the best part about his foot fetish is watching him FINALLY grab hold of a foot and then with the force, speed and intesity of say, me putting a cupcake to my mouth, he shoves that foot in like it's the most tasty delicatessen around.

People say he has his mom's flexibility. At any rate, I think it's pretty cute!

beachy keen

I'm all over the place with my blogging these days. So much to document, so little time.

I still have more of our Idaho vacation to blog, I still have more of my brother's wedding, and then everything in between.

Oh well. One day.

These are some pictures from our wedding trip to Southern California.

It was short and jam packed with wedding to-dos, but we did manage to squeak in a day at the beach. I never tire of the beach and neither do my kids. It's better than Disneyland! (except for there's no corn dogs or churros.)

This is baby Maren. I think she is the most beautiful thing around. She was very unsure of the sand!

Carter and Lucy....best buds.

Hunter, the eyelash master.

Grandpa Jay giving free rides.

Lucy's Day

Tuesday just became a day to celebrate in Lucy's world.

Because Tuesday is now the day we have preschool/playgroup with all of her friends!

I don't know about other families, but in ours sometimes it feels like Jack (the oldest) gets all the fun!

He goes to school.

He gets invited to birthday parties.

He is on a soccer team.

He gets a booster seat instead of a car seat.

He sings in the primary programs.

He's loosing his teeth and gets visited by the tooth fairy.

Finally it is Lucy's turn to have something special ALL to herself!

She is on cloud 9 when she wakes up and hears that it's a PRESCHOOL day! I am on cloud 9 when I see these 6 cuties all together! What a darling group!

When they came over to our house last time, Lucy said she wanted to learn about COLORS.

We sorted colors, played with playdough, made fruit loop necklaces, painted a color wheel, and ate delicious fruit from each color of the rainbow.

And of course we saved time for dressing up and playing house.

Note: It was really hilarious to watch Jack amongst all these girls. He was a typical boy running around trying to get attention in his batman outfit by scaring the girls. He loved it, too!

Idaho - On the trails

One of my favorite days in McCall was this day.

We took a nature stroll around some of the most gorgeous scenery I've seen.

Along the way, we were treated to deer sightings, multiple snake encounters, and also some unidentifiable creatures/trolls hiding underneath the bridges.

It was fun to be together.

I love to see my kids enjoying their cousins.

hanging by a thread.

wiggle

jiggle

tug and pull.

That's what he's been up to for the last month.

Until finally, one day, dad gave it the ole heave ho and it came right out.

I suggested we make a pillow for the toothfairy to put his earnings.

I made the mistake of letting him look online for pillow ideas.

He liked the monster one.

I obliged.

But my sewing machine HATES me.

I knew I should have used hot glue. I am friends with hot glue, NOT sewing.

but it doesn't matter because he loves it.

This last picture was his idea...an action shot of him waiting anxiously for the toothfairy's arrival.

...just another sign that he's growing up too fast!

4+ months and going strong...

jammer. jams. jammy.

Those are his nicknames.

I think it's interesting how some nicknames stick.

We started calling him Sammer Jammer and now we have every variation.

Sam is 4+ months now and we are so IN LOVE!

I am already that mom who's memory is a little foggy when it comes to remembering what my other two were doing at this age, but I swear he is the most giggly! He has the BEST laugh, particularly when you kiss or blow or growl on his neck! He loves it! Plus he's super ticklish!

Here's Sam showing off his moves. He can roll over from front to back, but not visa versa.

He drools a lot!

He spits up even more.

And he smiles at me like I'm his girlfriend!

I'm still getting butterflies.

Idaho - On the Sand

Most of our days at the reunion were spent at the beach along the shore of the lake.

I'm convinced that sand is the best entertainment around. Then when you get home it's equally as entertaining to find sand in very unusual places on your children.

The kids built castles, dug holes, swam, lounged in the raft, had water fights, soaked up some sun, and enjoyed time together.

The younger cousins made a train and slid down the dirt/sand hill.

Hence...sand in strange places.

The babies, Shafer and Sammy, mesmerized by the striped towel shade structure that Troy built.

Jack participating in the "big kid" water fight.

Drip castles

Yasmin NOT AMUSED by her uncle Troy's antics!

The girls looking mighty cheeky.