Snowbird Photo of the Day

Dan helped rake some of the lawn at Snowbird today.  Afterwards they let them take a break and do the zip line. Pretty fun.

 

 

Snowbird Photo of the Day - June 27, 2011

Sleepy Kid

Last night when I went in to tuck Mason in, I moved one of his pillows and he said “Oh, hi mom!”  I thought he had been asleep for quite a while, but he seemed pretty alert.  I asked him if he was awake or asleep and he said “Asleep”.  So I said “Okay, good night.  Love you.”  He said “And goodnight to you too!”  Then he puckered up.  I thought it was because I had put Vaseline on his lips and he didn’t like it but after a couple of seconds he tapped his puckered lips because he wanted a kiss.  Once he got it he rolled right over and went back to sleep.  He’s so funny sometimes!

I really need to start posting more about what is going on around here...I'm such a slacker sometimes! The kids are doing a lot of fun (and silly) things that I fail to document, so I'm going to try and be better.

Recent comments by Mason:
6/11/11: "The moon is so bright! I've never seen anything like it!" He repeated the 2nd part of it several times, so I'm not sure if he was more impressed by the bright moon or that it was something he was excited he hadn't experienced before!

6/12/11: After Tristyn kissed him goodnight tonight he said "You're a great sister". Funny how they can be so lovey dovey at night but pounce on each other all day.

Earlier this month I was telling the kids that Karen was going to have baby Kaden any day. They didn't know I was expecting at that point and I asked if they wanted a baby. Of course Tristyn said yes, she wanted a baby sister. Mason just looked at me and said "Mom, you need a pet! A turtle." As we kept talking he said that Tristyn and dad both need guinea pigs. He already has a pet fish, so he's covered.

Tristyn's birthday was earlier this month (also something I need to post about), so he had been watching the calendar closely. For 2-3 weeks prior to her birthday when we'd call the primary kids up to sing for their birthday he'd say "Hey, what about Tristyn!" She's still in nursery, so she wasn't there for us to even sing to, but he didn't want us to miss her. Last week the music lady asked if we should sing Happy Birthday to the Primary President and he shouted out "No, what about Melissa!" Her birthday was the next day and he didn't want her to be left out either. He likes to let the primary ladies know if something doesn't go quite as he'd expect.

We just finished the spring soccer season and when we asked how many goals he wanted to score, he'd always say 100. He played with his neighborhood buddies and had a lot of fun. He's quite a good player if he can keep his focus on the game. He really likes to play goalie. Tball starts tomorrow and he's super excited about that.

We bought him a loft bed (aka bunk bed) for his room downstairs, but I have to clean my junk out of it and paint it before we can put the bed up, so he has been begging me to clean it and has even offered to help so it will get done more quickly. I think he's more excited about the bunk bed than the baby sister. We recently painted our family room and a wall in the kitchen and wall in the front room, so he is very anxious to have his own space painted.

The other day he told me I couldn't eat because he was worried about what the food would do to the baby in my belly. We had to explain how I need to eat so the baby could get food.

We took the training wheels off of his bike a few days ago against his wishes. He will be going on a few bike rides with his day care class and the first is this week. We have a few days for him to get it down or he may be walking his bike! He wants us to put them back on, but what would that teach him??? He's actually doing really well without them and just needs a bit more practice.

I'll have to think about other funny things he has said and try to post them before I forget.

Tristyn does a lot of silly things too. She gives hugs to Mason that are basically a bear hug turned tackle. She holds on forever and we have to pull her off a lot of the time. She likes to bug him when she's bored. He takes it pretty well.

She likes to have picnics with her dolls and even fed her rubber duckies a fake pancake yesterday at the picnic. Later in the day we took real pancakes to the park and let her feed the real ducks--she loved it.

She already likes to rub my budda belly and ask if that's her baby sister in there. She always reminds us that the baby needs to get a lot bigger. She saw the ultra sound photos on the fridge before she knew it was my baby and always said that the baby needed to get bigger. Mason just thought it was a photo of a cave.

When we were looking at the super bright moon last night she said she wanted to go to it. When I asked how we'd get there she said we'd use a ladder. Dan had his ladder out for painting, so maybe that's why she thought of that. We had put an outer space puzzle together earlier in the day and she was talking about going from planet to planet to play with friends.

She picks every dandelion she sees and I think she'll really love eating stuff from the garden this year. We pulled a few carrots up that lingered from last year and she munched on them. She also picked a strawberry blossom and green berry and carried them around for a while.

We bought her a $10 princess bike off of KSL and she is riding it very well after just a few days! She wasn't ever very interested in the tricycle, so I'm glad she wanted to ride this one. She wants to play tball with Mason and I think she'll be excited tomorrow to see that I have a pink mitt hidden away for her. I forgot to give it to her for her bday.

Okay, I'm having a brain block because it's getting late. There are so many other fun things they do, so I just need to write a quick post when they happen before I forget! This mushy brain can't remember anything these days!

tristyn picked her clothes out for tomorrow. they're all in order of how things go on (although it will be backwards order when she tries to get dressed).

The kids wanted a sledding hill so we built snow up around the swing set slide. They're having a blast.

All Cleaned Up!

When Mason got home today he said "This place is cleaned up". Funny thing is that the only thing I did in that room was pick up the toys. Then after his bath we were in his bedroom and he said "it's not gross anymore". I had made his bed and cleaned up his toys, so I guess that made it not gross. He must hear me say how gross our house is a little too often (I'm normally talking about the toilets or kitchen floor)! Glad he noticed that his stuff had been cleaned up. Now if he would just take care of it himself!

Tristyn looked like a dainty little ballerina after the girls at daycare put her hair up today. She still wants to wear skirts even though the weather is cold, so I have to force the leggings on--she doesn't like them a whole lot but I think they're super cute! She also doesn't like long sleeve shirts and always pulls the sleeves up. She's a lot like Melissa in those regards. They also both really like pink and hate close toed shoes.

The sweater and skirt were both hand me downs, so thanks to Suzy and Diane for the cute clothes!

Halloween 2010

This year Tristyn didn't hesitate for a second when we asked her what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween. I'm not sure she quite understood at that point what it even meant, but of course she had to be Snow White! I pointed out a few other costumes for her, but she wouldn't even consider anything but her favorite princess! Mason couldn't quite decide between an Astronaut and Buzz Lightyear, so we went with the cheaper and more original costume (lots of Buzz's out there). He made a super handsome astronaut and it was the determining factor in the theme for his 5th birthday party (I'll post photos of his Astronaut party later).

They had a blast trick or treating at my work and around the neighborhood (the rain cut the neighborhood rounds a little short). We ended up with so much candy that I'm not sure how to get rid of it! It does come in handy when I need a bribe!

Dan dressed up as Bret Michaels from Poison and was a spitting image. He won the best Look a Like costume at his work party! I pulled out my Skeleton Bride costume to wear to work, so it was fun to dress up for the day!

Maybe we'll try a family theme for next year!

Primary Program

This was the day of the Primary Program and luckily my dad was visiting and could snap a photo of us all. Mason had his part memorized and was so excited to say it during the program. He looked super handsome all dressed up just like daddy (Dan's funny in that he likes to dress in an outfit similar to what Mason is wearing). Mason's part was "Jesus was also willing to give up his life for us, to overcome death". He did a great job and we're super proud of him. Next year we need to work with him a little more on the songs. They sang several verses of Follow the Prophet and Tristyn was singing along with them from the congregation! She also memorized Mason's part just from hearing us practice with him! Too bad she has a year before she'll be a Sunbeam and can take part in the program.

Mason also gave his first talk in Primary last Sunday. The topic was "Jesus Christ taught us how to serve others.' Dan wrote the talk and practiced with him every night for a week. Mason wasn't shy at all to get up in front of everyone and he did a great job! He also loved having the spotlight when the Primary sang a birthday song to him!

So proud of you, Mason!

Movie Time!

This is the kids' makeshift movie theater! Since my laptop is out of commission, I am working from our home pc and that was a way to entertain them for a while. They are watching Horton. We already played train and elevator with the couch cushions. It has been an adventurous day!

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Shrek Final Chapter

Since we changed our minds on heading up to my family reunion this weekend, we decided we better do something fun with the kids. On Friday night Mason kept talking about a movie theater, so we let them sit on our bed and watch Snow White while eating popcorn. On Saturday, we attempted to take them to a real movie theater! We've tried taking Mason only twice before--once when he was just over 1 and once when Tristyn was a baby. Both times he got distracted and wanted to run around the theater, so we ended up leaving early. This time he did AWESOME! He watched most of the movie and ate a lot of popcorn. Tristyn was a little scared by the loud speakers and fell asleep for a while on my lap, but woke up for the last half and enjoyed all but the fiery dragon! It was cute when Shrek roared really loud, Mason said he was using his 'big voice'. Not sure if he learned that at preschool or daycare! As always, both kids danced and sang through the final credits. I think that's their favorite part of every movie! Over all I'd say it was a success and I have no reservations about taking them to other shows (other than the cost to get 4 of us in--we may have to stick with the dollar theater)! Mason is already excited about seeing Toy Story 3, so I'm sure that's next! Yeah for popcorn and movies and family nights out!

Better Listener

Another quick post . . . tonight in Mason's prayer he prayed that dad would listen better! Dan bought a few simple magic tricks yesterday and Mason has had a blast watching them. His favorites are the ball that disappears and the 'tissue' (handkerchief) that disappears. He laughs hysterically! Dan was trying to get him to try a taste of scone tonight and said he'd show him how to do the trick if he'd try. Mason didn't like that idea and got mad and said 'magic is hard'. (He also said 'swimming is hard' last week when he had to leave the swimming pool'. I think it's his way of expressing frustration that he can't do what he wants all the time . . . that's pretty hard!)

So, I guess he thought that Dan needed to listen to him better and let him do the magic tricks instead of go to bed.

It's actually a great prayer since I have often wished that Dan listened better too :-)

5k

Today was the DFCU 5k Walk/Run. Since I'm way too out of shape to run it (I don't think I've ever ran that far at once), Dan and I walked with the kids. Mason rode his bike and was such a trooper to make it that far! Tristyn had a blast pointing out airplanes from the stroller. It took an hour, compared to the 20 minutes it took a runner to push his twin girls, but at least we did it, right? The weather was perfect and it was a fun time with the family. I didn't take a photo, but the HR guy did, so I'll try to get it and post it later!

Don't Worry

I was taking Mason to preschool this morning and said something about the snow (probably complaining that it covered the ground yet AGAIN!) and he quickly responded "Don't worry mom, we'll keep spring". He then added that it's a beautiful spring day (which he was also saying last week after church when I was trying to capture a few photos of them by the popcorn popping trees (see blog title photo).

Mason has been saying "don't worry" a lot lately . . . like don't worry mom, we'll find it" when something is lost. I'm glad he has confidence that things will always work out! If only it were as easy for adults to see things that way!

Maybe it's time to teach him the song Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Baby Animal Days

We recently went up to Dan's hometown for Baby Animal Days, which has become an Easter time tradition! Before we left we told Mason we were going to visit Grandma and Grandpa, so he talked about it all day and even carried our big cooler up from the storage room so we could pack it for the trip! When we got closer we told him we were going to go see the baby animals and he just kept saying he wanted to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. When we pulled into the parking lot of the Heritage Center we told him again we were going to see the animals first and he said "No! I'm not! I'm going to Grandma and Grandpa's house!" Then he had a meltdown and although we didn't want to give in to his tantrum, we knew getting him out of the car would mean dragging him around while crying. So, we went to Dan's parents for a quick visit and lunch. Then he was fine going back to the farm!

He still didn't care much for the animals (he never really has), but he wanted to head straight for the toys and rides instead. Tristyn liked the baby pigs, sheep, goats, bunnies, chicks, and goslings. However, when the big lamp baa'd right in her face she got scared and didn't really care to spend much more time with the animals! We didn't go through the long line to hold the chicks or goslings, but she liked watching the other kids hold them and giggled when they squirmed around.

Mason wiped Dan's wallet out so he could go on the bouncy slide a million times! Then he waited patiently for the candy cannon. Mas said the candy shot out of the ground, up to the sky, and back down again. He was pretty hesitant to grab candy that was near anyone else, but he did come out with a small bagful. Even after that he wanted cotton candy! I was surprised he ate it, but he did. I ate some too . . . it was yummy! Bear World brought a few bear cubs and they were super cute and really curious! It was fun to see them. Mason wanted to watch the train go around and he just stood there for a long time, but when Dan asked about 10 times if he wanted to ride it, he kept saying no. Until we were ready to go home, of course! Then he wanted to ride it! By then we were done, so he had another tantrum because he didn't want to leave! Kids . . . they never know what they want!



We finished the day with Cafe Rio and a yummy Charlie's shake (the BEST SHAKES EVER!), so it couldn't get much better than that! Yeah for spring!

More cupcakes

I blogged about Mason's cupcakes earlier, so this will be quick. I just wanted to share a couple of photos of the kids 'helping' mix the batter when they made cupcakes a couple of weeks ago (yes, we have been making them a lot lately). Mason is great at reading the directions and telling Dan what to do next. He also likes to put the papers in the pan. I think Tristyn had just woken up from a nap, which is why she looks a little zoned! I'm glad they like to help bake and just hope they'll actually eat all the things they help make!

Little Camper

Mason loves to play in his little tents and keeps asking Dan when they can go camping. So, a couple of weeks ago we set our dome tent up in the front room so he could play in it. He actually did fall asleep in it one night after several hours of playing in it. He really liked having the zipper done up and didn't mind that it got all stuffy and hot. He pulled out his little sleeping bag and even put his other smaller tent inside. He had a blast and was a great helper when it came to folding it back up. I think he's ready to hit the great outdoors! Tristyn was a little hesitant to go in at first because I think she thought we'd zip her in, but she eventually realized it was fun. Melissa even had a picnic in there with them! The kids love it when she comes over to play!

Shoe Queeen

Here's another first for Tristyn--the past couple of weeks she's been trying to put on her own shoes. In this photo she got the right shoe on (even on the right foot) and pretty much had the left one on too before I had to take them both off to put socks on so she could go outside to play! She has always been good at putting her little feet into our big shoes, but she has quickly mastered squeezing into her own shoes. I'm actually surprised she chose these shoes because she normally picks her princess shoes. Maybe she knew these were easier to put on! She normally picks her own shoes and there's no changing her mind once she's made a decision! I doubt she gets her stubbornness from me!

First Skinned Knee

Tristyn loves her Mini Miche Bag! She finally let me take off the pink shell and trade it for this furry leopard shell! We keep a few trinkets in the purse, including these sunglasses. She's great at putting them on herself and sometimes even gets them on the right way! This photo also documents her first skinned knee! She walked outside in just her onsie and fell down on the patio. She was pretty upset, but has enjoyed the attention she gets when she shows her owie. She has a lot of character and is always doing silly things! Such a cutie! Oh, you can see her doggy in the corner. She is still a great little mommy for her dogs, especially the one she got from DanaRae's family on her first birthday (white with gray spots that you occasionally see in other photos)! Thank goodness it's washable.

Swim Jar

This is Mason's SWIM jar . . . he wrote swim on the lid by himself (the w started as an m and he hasn't realized yet that all the letters should go in order and in a line--he puts them all over the place). Inside the jar are peanut M&Ms and when the jar is full, Mason gets to go swimming. We started this as a way to get him to behave. When he's good we add to the jar and when he's naughty or doesn't listen we remove treats from the jar. It worked really well at first and we have convinced him to do a few things he didn't want to do by threatening to remove treats, but I will admit that the jar has been completely empty a couple of times (even though we started with it about half full). It's almost half full again--we're really trying to reward all the good things he does with plenty of treats. I'm not sure how long it will last, but he really needs to fill it up soon so he can go swimming and realize that he gets to do fun things when he obeys! If it can get him to sit through dinner at the table with us, I'd say it's somewhat successful! At least when he's being naughty it gives Dan or me a chance to indulge in chocolate!

Our Bakery

Dan must be so proud that his little boy shares his love for yellow cake (and cupcakes)! We were sitting in church Sunday and Mason whispered in my ear and asked if he could make cupcakes when we got home. So, he helped Dan read the box and crack the eggs into the bowl. He even licked the beaters and wanted more batter, which is kind of a big deal for a kid that won't try anything! Once they were cooked, he had to frost them too. He kept licking the knife and his fingers and saying 'mmm, tastes like marshmallows'. I'm not sure where he got that, but maybe all things super sweet taste the same to him!

I think he did a pretty good job frosting these on his own! He has also done a great job eating the cupcakes on his own--yesterday he ate three in a row! At least that keeps me from eating them :-)

For those that we shared a plate with (Dan's home teaching families), please know that Dan frosted those and he did not lick the knife or his fingers in between cupcakes (at least I didn't see him do it!). Next time we'll be sure to share Mason's specialties!