Happy Birthday Clint!

Clint turned another year older this month. We never really do anything exciting for his birthday since it is so close to Christmas. This was the first year that the kids really got into it. We made the cake. (Clint does not like frosting so he just had a boring cake.) Haden loves to help cook!

We painted pictures for his office.

And we assembled a fairy garden, also for his office. The people at Tagawa are awesome! The lady was so good and patient with my kids as they made their decisions about which plants they wanted where, what color rocks would look best, etc. Clint took it to work before I got a good picture of it, but the kids did a good job on it. Clint is lucky that Regan didn't see the display of little fairies by the plants or he would have wound up with several in his garden!
He also got new running clothes, but the kids both thought that was rather boring. Clint is the best dad and husband! Not everyone can sword fight Haden while dancing with Regan! Happy Birthday Clint!

Lila also loves chocolate cake!

Pajama day

Haden's preschool had a pajama day where Lila and I got to go to school with him. That morning he absolutely refused to wear his pajamas. He told me that you were not supposed to go anywhere if you were wearing your pajamas. None of my cajoling worked. He was adamant. So, I packed his really cute pirate pajamas in his backpack just in case he changed his mind when he saw that he was the only one in jeans. He didn't.
We had Teddy Grahams and hot chocolate, sang songs (Haden still sings about the penguins who "waddle, waddle, side to side") read a book that the kids made, and created a bird feeder out of pine cones, frosting, and bird seed. It was fun to watch Haden interact in a new environment. His teachers still praise his behavior and tell me that he is "a pleasant, young man." He is growing up so quickly!

Growth Stats

This past month Haden turned 3 and Lila turned 6 months, both of which warranted a visit to the doctor.
Haden weighs 31.5 lbs (46%) and is 3 ft 2.5 inches (69%). He is very entertaining to say the least. His imagination is always working overtime. In the car the other day, in all seriousness, he told me that monsters had taken Santa's toy sack and he had to get it back! He even mimicked the chant he claimed the monsters used, "We stole Santa's sack!" in a deep voice over and over. He and Regan use the double jogging stroller as Santa's sleigh. They load it up with toys, climb in, and sit quietly until Haden yells, "we're here!". Then they unload, run around for a couple of minutes before loading back up and repeating the scenario. This can go on for awhile. One of my favorite things to do is eavesdrop on the two of them playing! He loves dressing up as different characters and is fascinated with tools. His last request was for a jackhammer. He loves both his sisters so much!

Lila weighs 15 lbs 5.5 ounces (27%) and is 2 feet 2.25 inches (58%). She loves to eat anything, but baby food. The little stinker clamps her mouth down tight and refuses to open it for anything mashed up. When she does want another bite, she opens her mouth wide and makes noises until she gets what she wants. She frequently hums while she's eating. She smiles at everyone, but is still a mama's girl. Lila sits up very well by herself and loves dancing to music. I am always nervous Haden's roughhousing is going to hurt her, but she just laughs. Regan takes pride in selecting Lila's outfit, which frequently coordinates with her own. She is getting more hair, but it is still too early to tell if it is going to be curly. Lila is well loved by her siblings. She is the perfect addition to our family!

Fashion

Regan has her own sense of style. She doesn't care what others think and dresses and accessorizes to please herself. She generally has pretty good taste. (Black is her new favorite color to wear.) I have had countless strangers complement me on her ensembles. I have nothing to do with it. It is all her. Last week, on the way to school Regan asked me if I thought everyone was going to be looking at her? Confused, I asked why. Her matter of fact response, "Because I am so fashionable today!"

Haden's in Preschool!

I can't believe that Haden is old enough for preschool! He has been so excited and has told many people that he is starting preschool in January. He's at Trailswest, the same preschool that Regan went to, although he has a different teacher. The day before he started, we went to the school to meet his teachers and see the classroom. He has 4 teachers in the classroom every day and only 10 kids in class. They were wonderful with him! I was a little apprehensive that he wouldn't willingly stay, but when I kissed him goodbye he was already playing trucks with another little boy and complained that the little boy was not sharing all the lego men! His teachers gave him a wonderful report, saying that he did well during group time, transitioned well, played well with others, and participated appropriately. They were also impressed with his imaginative play skills. I know he is going to have a wonderful experience, and I have to admit, I really enjoy my hour and a half with only Lila!Haden insisted on wearing his Santa hat to keep his head warm. He was annoyed that my sister still had Christmas decorations up on New Year's Eve, but apparently it is okay to wear a Santa hat in January!Regan has been just as excited for Haden to start preschool. Her kindergarten teacher told me how Regan has told her all about how Haden is in preschool at the same time she is in kindergarten and she wonders what he is doing! I love that my kids love each other so much!

Walking from the car to the school.

Washing his hands with his teacher.

Playing with the trucks. There was too much going on for him to look at the camera!

And my handsome little guy, still smiling, after his first day!

Idaho, Round 2

We left for Idaho, again, 2 days after Christmas. The roads were fine and the kids were good. Haden kept asking to move to Idaho so he could ride the 4 wheeler "all the long day!" We spent a day in Pocatello so Regan could deliver presents to her cousins and my siblings. She has so much fun picking out gifts for everyone!

We went snowshoeing with Clint's dad and sister. Clint got snowshoes for Christmas this year and he gave me a pair last year. (I was barely surviving last year-there was no way I was up for snowshoeing, and by the time I had recovered, the snow was gone.) We took the kids with us. I had Lila in my sling and Clint pulled Regan and sleeping Haden in a sled. My kids never get enough sleep while we are on vacation and will usually fall asleep after a few minutes in the car. Haden was out within the first 5 minutes of the 10 minute ride. Clint moved him into the sled where he stayed, snoring, until we got back to the car. He woke up, asked where we were and what we were doing. Clint told him that we had been snowshoeing. Haden smiled and said that he really like snowshoeing, it was super fun!
The wind picked up on the way back down and it was all I could do to keep Lila warm! She eventually fell asleep snuggled inside my coat.
New Year's Eve, Clint's family had a party where the grown ups played Hokey 6. It's a variation of Nertz that his family plays at every gathering. Clint and I won! Thanks to Clint's dad for taking care of Lila for us!Then we headed south to Salt Lake City so we could show the kids the lights at Temple Square. Regan surprisingly remembered temple square from our last visit, nearly 2 years ago. The beautiful springtime flowers are hard to forget! My sister, Savannah, and her friend drove up from Provo to meet us. It was snowing and very cold so we didn't wander around outside for very long, but it was still fun.
Regan thinks Savannah should marry this boy because then she could be the flower girl. (Junie B. Jones taught her about flower girls.) She already has the dress picked out and has been begging us to buy it for her. I have explained several times that, although we really liked this boy, Savannah may not marry him and even if she does, Savannah gets to pick Regan's flower girl dress. Regan does not at all like that idea!

We were grateful to arrive home safely and swear we are not making that trip again, even to ride the 4 wheeler, for a very long time!

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! I keep all the presents hidden until after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve. No, not because Santa is supposed to bring them, but because my kids have zero self control when it comes to presents. The packages that arrived in the mail and got put under the tree all had rips in them that no one would ever admit to doing.

Regan got a lot of crafty stuff and a label maker that came with 14 feet of labels. Clint and I were sure that much would last for a long time. We were very wrong, but at least now everything is labeled!
Haden got a workbench and dress up clothes. He was thrilled! He loves dressing up as a police officer and handing out tickets or putting out fires with his fire extinguisher.
Lila was just happy to play with the ribbons and wrapping paper!
Clint made a "fancy" breakfast of crepes. Regan regularly begs for us to have a fancy meal. I think this needs to be a new tradition for us-I haven't been very good at implementing traditions yet.
Haden dressed up in what he calls his Nutcracker outfit and told Clint he was the Mouse King. It was fun to watch them attack each other. Haden loves sword fighting!
We had friends over for Christmas dinner and then the adults played games and the kids entertained themselves. Haden and his little friend were playing in the basement. When we went down the next day, we discovered that the mats covering the floor had all been ripped up. We asked Haden what happened. He said that he ripped them all up because his friend (who was a girl) was watching him! He's already trying to impress the girls and he is barely 3!!

Although the weather was in the 50's and there was no snow to be seen, it was still a wonderful Christmas!

Santa Claus

While in Idaho for Thanksgiving, the kids and I went to the mall in Pocatello. The mall Santa had no kids waiting to see him, so he came to the toy area to recruit kids. I am not a fan of Santa Claus and have not taught my kids about how he brings toys to good girls and boys. I treated him like Frosty the Snowman, just another character of Christmas. I just don't know how to explain why Santa brought their friends more toys than they got or the other way around. The same thing goes for the Easter bunny. My kids still learned about him from somewhere and are die hard believers. Afterall, Brandon in Regan's kindergarten class said that he saw him one Christmas Eve and apparently everything Brandon says is undisputed fact. So, when Haden saw Santa he took off running. He really is shy around strangers, I am not sure why Santa is an exception. Haden eagerly climbed on his lap and they had a very serious conversation, judging by the expression on Haden's face. He had a huge smile on his face when he jumped off and insisted that we needed to go home to Colorado immediately because Santa said he was coming to our house! Thankfully, Regan explained that Santa wouldn't be coming until Christmas Eve which was still a little ways away. I wonder how long they are going to be believers?

Bathtime

This is why Haden is never allowed to take a bath unattended. He was left alone for only a couple of minutes and he has been told over and over that bubbles and water are supposed to stay in the bathtub. It is a good thing he is pretty darn cute!