Halloween festivities

Halloween seemed to be never ending this year. We've had 6 full days excitement over here, and definitely got our fair share of celebrating in. The fun started Friday with our ward trunk-or-treat. The girls were so excited, they both woke up Friday morning at 6:30am squealing, "It's Halloween!! It's Halloween!" I've had to remind them several times, "Not yet."

As for costumes this year, I had picked up an Ariel dress from Costco awhile back cause Madi had been talking about wanting to be Ariel for quite awhile. She likes to play Ariel at home- dress up, loose her voice, and walk around signing things, trying to get me to figure out what she's saying. But then when Madi showed Spencer her costume he was less than thrilled, telling me how H-I-D-E-O-U-S it was. He then started laying down subtle hints - trying to get Madi to change her mind. Spencer's got a lot of persuasive power with the girls and he successfully convinced Madi to be an artist.

Elle, who had talked about wanting to be Tinkerbell, changed her mind once she tried on the dress and couldn't handle how "itchy" it was (Elle is the most particular little girl when it comes to clothes- getting dressed everyday has become a constant battle. I've now given up and she wears the same old skirt and shirt every single day). Wanting to be like her sister, Elle told me she was gonna be an artist too.

No argument here. The costume was an easy one. Inspired by Fancy Nancy, Madi and Elle wore their art smocks that Boppi had made for them for Christmas, we used some old cardboard to made the girls each a paint pallet, and then a beret to complete the outfit (which Elle refused to wear of course).

Our ward trunk-or-treat was a blast! Didn't take many pictures- mostly cause I was helping kids with dinner, then with a group of little girls during the trunk-or-treating part. Spencer maned the van- passing out candy while taking care of Cal who was beyond tired. We stayed for the costume parade and awards before I slipped out to get Calvin and Elle to bed. Spencer and Madi stayed for the popcorn, root beer floats and movie, but only lasted minutes before Madi said she was tired and wanted to go home (I love how our kids regulate themselves and many nights let me know when it's time for bed).

A late night on Friday was followed by another trunk-or-treat, and late night on Saturday. Spencer's been swamped at work (has the most cases of any other attorney at his firm), and ended up working the entire day. Being busy with the kids, I had no time to get my lesson for Relief Society planned. So even though Spencer and I were initially planning on attending 2nd wards trunk-or-treat, Boppi and Grandpa Al so kindly volunteered to take the girls so Spencer could go back to work and I could stay home to finish planning my lesson. So grateful we were! Thanks mom and dad! The girls had such a great time!!

Oh, and last minute Madi decided she wanted to rotate costumes and be an artist one night and Ariel the next. So that's just what she did.

Getting ready to ride in the scout:

Elle holding down her hair so that it wouldn't get messed up (something else she's currently crazy obsessed about - her hair and having it totally out of her face. I have to rebraid it roughly 10 times a day.):

Face Painting!

Such a fun night with Boppi and Grandpa Al!

Madi wanted to sleep with her face painted, but then just before getting into bed she changed her mind. Instead she says, "Will you just take another picture and then put in on your blog? Then I'm ok if you wash it off." Aww.... made me so happy!

Sunday was a big day just because it was the Primary Program and Madi sang a solo of "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus." She sang like an angel- brought tears to my eyes.

Monday we continued our Halloween celebration with the pumpkin patch for FHE.

The girls had such a fun time at the pumpkin patch (running around with Brooklyn Bell, whose parents also had the same great idea as us) that we ran out of time to carve it. So Tuesday night was the carving party!

Our kids are so lucky to have such a fun dad! I'm grateful to Spencer who sticks to his guns about doing all the little things that make holidays special and memorable even when I sometimes put up a stink about it being a waste of time and/or money. I love him for it!

Especially when we the end result is so cool!

We were up early this morning for 8am school and an 8:30am Halloween parade. We were so rushed getting out the door that I didn't have time to make a sandwich for Madi, so we got to join her for lunch today (such a fun treat)!

After school Madi crashed (complaining of a sore throat) and napped for over an hour. I didn't think she was gonna be able to go trick or treating, but just before Spencer got home she snapped out of it and all of a sudden had her energy back. Good thing, cause it ended up being such a fun night and a great end to the Halloween festivities! 

Our little man:

Happy Halloween!!

7 months

Cal's growing and changing so much! He's now much more active, super vocal, and still as cute as can be!

This month:
- Cal mastered sitting up. He's now enjoying the wonderful world of seeing everything in an upright position.
- Cal's birthday present to his dad was saying, "Dada". Spencer was thrilled!
- At the beginning of the month Cal started showing signs of separation anxiety. He'd cry every time I walked out of the room. But now, as long as he's rested, he's usually ok with me leaving, just as long as he's not all alone in the room. But when Calvin's tired, I'm the only person he wants to be with.
- Cal loves playing with his dad in the mornings when I'm out on a run, but the second I walk in the door, he wants nothing to do with Spencer anymore and just wants his mama! Cal sure knows how to make his mom feel good!
- He transitioned into a tummy sleeper.
- His appetite has doubled! Seriously! I feel like he can never get enough food. The girls would always tell me (or show signs) that they were done, but Calvin just keeps eating and eating.
- He seems to have a good mixture of the girls personality- the silly/playful side that Elle had as a baby, and the very focused/concentrated side that Madi had.
- Calvin finally fell in love with his books. He loves reading stories before naps and bedtime. The touch and feel books are his favorites. He'll pet the pages of every book just to check.
- He's hands down been the hardest of the three kids to sleep train.

He's just the sweetest little guy and sure knows how to make us all smile. Love you Cal!

Spencer's 33!

In our family, birthdays are a BIG deal, and when your birthday lands on a Saturday, that's a really BIG deal!! Spencer's birthday this year fell on a Saturday and it ended up being such a fabulous day with lots of time to celebrate as a family.

Birthday cards from the girls:

The day started with present opening. The big one was delivered on Monday and sat in our entry way all week. I never told the girls what it was, so they were beyond excited for Spencer to open it. I got him a mini fridge for his office - hoping to offer a little more variety from his regular pb&j sandwich everyday.  

We had our first overcast day of the month, with finally some cooler temps (which we've been anxiously awaiting) so we changed our plans of Padaro Beach Grill in Carpinteria, and decided to stay local and hit up Andria's (fish & chips at the Ventura harbor).

After lunch we took a nice long walk along the Harbor, went over to the museum, had fun watching Madi teach Elle to ride her scooter, and just enjoyed the family time.

On the way home we stopped by Spencer's office to drop off his new fridge, then home to watch the BYU game. I made Spencer a peanut butter pie and butterscotch dessert which we cut into later that evening with friends (Bell's, Stoworthy's, and Kelly's).

Then Sunday Mom and Dad Jenkins came over to join us for Spencer's birthday dinner of choice: tri tip, baked potatoes, steamed brocolli, cheesy garlic bread swirls (new roll recipe from Best Bites), and THREE different birthday desserts (the two leftover from Saturday, plus a pecan pie and ice cream)! The picture below cracks me up of Elle trying to eat really fast so she didn't miss out on dessert.

It was a great birthday weekend! 

Elle, Cal, and friends

Elle had her buddy Easton over to play Monday morning (to give his mama and new baby sister some quiet time at home). Normally Elle doesn't like the boys, but Easton's the exception. They get along so great! Elle couldn't stop laughing and smiling.

It's always a treat for me to see my kids having fun with their little friends. One thing I love about finally living in a permanent location is knowing that my kids are making friends they're gonna grow up with - go to seminary with, attend football games, dances, parties, and probably even graduate from High School with. I look forward to watching Elle and Easton grow up together.

This picture would have been my favorite if Elle wasn't making an extra goofy face!

I loved how eager Easton was to have his picture taken. He'd want to run over and look at each picture, then purposefully change his pose.

After dropping Easton off at home, we picked Madi up from school and headed over to Adam and Lora's to go swimming (it's been a crazy hot week - I'm totally over this heat and more than ready for fall)! I couldn't get in the pool (leg surgery done 5 days earlier and still under doctors orders of wearing my stocking 24/7 and not swimming for 7 days), and Elle wouldn't swim if I wasn't in there to help her, but Calvin had a good time hanging out with his buddy Houston! I love getting these two boys together!

We put them in the pack-n-play to hang together. 

The fun lasted long enough for Madi to swim 3 laps (one at a time) all by herself (well, with Lora in the water encouraging every stroke of the way)! I got it on video for Spencer to watch after work. We were all so proud! After Madi's last lap, Houston was worming his way around the pack-n-play kicking Cal in the stomach in the process, while Cal just sat there holding onto a toy crying. Silly boys! Not sure if Adam and Lora will be in Camarillo for the long haul, but I can guarantee our boys will grow up being little buddies.

Houston trying to apologize! :)

Parenting

While talking on the phone with my sister the other day, she reminded me of a blog that we both know and love. I hadn't read this particular blog for awhile, so after Tish and I's conversation I got on to check out it out again. And now I'm obsessed. I can't stop reading - recent posts, old posts, the links that she includes in each post, etc. All her ideas under "concrete mothering" are fabulous! I plan on copying many of them! After reading one particular post, I remembered that I'd been wanting to read her mom(Linda Eyre)'s book: "I didn't Plan to Be a Witch" as well as the "The Entitlement Trap" (authored by both her parents). So I got onto Amazon and ordered both right then.

If you can't tell, along with reading Shawni's blog, I'm also currently obsessed with getting parenting tips and ideas. Some lady stopped me in the parking lot of Vons the other morning to tell me what a terrible mom I was being - allowing my child to stand up in the shopping cart while I loaded groceries into the car. She told me my kids were going to end up in the hospital. And then, when I simply brushed off her comment (mostly cause I was in a hurry and still in shock that she was being rude to me), she goes on to say how I must not love my children! How DARE her! I stopped her right there, said something about not only loving my children, but also knowing them better than anyone (meaning how cautious they are and how Elle would not be one to do anything crazy in the shopping cart). Then while driving away (completely fuming and still a bit in shock that this just happened), I sat and thought up all the things I wish I would have said to that lady.

I spend almost every waking moment doing something with and/or for my kids. And when I'm not doing something for them, I'm thinking about then, cleaning up after them, writing about them, and/or editing/posting pictures of them. My kids are my life. I take my job as a mom very seriously! I'm constantly evaluating how I'm doing as a mom, and then making goals to help me in my areas of weakness. Of course I've got a long way to go, and TONS of stuff I know I need to work on, but I'm trying.

Actually, a good friend in my ward just organized a parenting class (free baby-sitting included) for all us moms in the area who want a little help, motivation, support, or maybe just some reminding. We had our first class (of an 8 week course) this past Tuesday. It was great! We were instructed to take notes, then to SHARE and APPLY. I figure if I type it up on my blog, I won't forget it. So for sake of sharing...

We talked about how to make our homes a house of order, cause it's hard to nurture if your home isn't in order. But don't strive for perfection, strive for PROGRESS! We talked about the busyness of life and how out of all activities, we need to keep three things as our highest priority:
1) Family Home Evening
2) Family Prayer
3) Family Scripture Study

Sometimes it's tempting to let these three activities slide, especially when life gets busy (I can only imagine how hard it's gonna be when my kids get older), but we were reminded that they don't have to be a huge ordeal. This made me feel better, cause our family home evening many weeks is simply throwing a song and thought onto our usual nightly routine of stories, scriptures, and family prayer.

We also talked about 1) establishing routines, 2) Getting the family home (I know this will get harder as they get older and are involved in several activities a piece) 3) Having a positive, happy tone when the kids walk in the door (as opposed to yelling at them to take their shoes off, get jobs door, do homework, etc). 4) Getting rid of electronics (so glad Spencer's as opposed to gaming systems as I am) and collecting phones once they walk in the door (totally agree on this one- too many kids no longer know how to carry on regular conversations cause they've always got their electronic devise in hand). 5) Making sure we're living the principles we're trying to teach our kids

Other things:
- Teach at eye level (get down there when you want to have a conversation with them)
- Lots of hugs and soft touches
- Ask questions, then LISTEN to their answers
- Use teaching moments (bedtime and dinner table is great for this)
- Support each other on activities (go to each others games, concerts, performances, events, etc)

"No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God." -President Hinckley

the dentist

After getting flu shots last week, this weeks trip to the dentist was a welcomed experience. Madi quickly volunteered to go first. I'd even venture to say that she was excited to get into the chair.

Elle on the other hand, was super nervous and kept telling me over and over that she didn't want them touching her teeth. The dentist was awesome though and got Elle in on the action. Here she is, helping hold the mirror to count Madi's teeth.

Madi showing off her pearly whites after a full cleaning, complete with raspberry fluoride painted on at the end (the only thing Madi got uncomfortable with).

My nervous little Elle. The only reason she agreed to climb into that chair was because of the promise of a trip to the toy box if she'd simply let the dentist count her teeth.

Madi performing her older sister duties and giving Elle a pep talk.

Thankfully it ended up being a great experience. Elle opened right up and let the dentist take a look.

And the BEST part was a visit to the toy box at the end (our dentist has the coolest toys)! Too bad I didn't get a picture of Elle with her huge smile as we walked out the door. She couldn't stop talking about how brave she was, her new princess toothbrush, and her new favorite toy! Yay for great trips to the dentist!!

Conference Weekend

I love this time of year! Fall General Conference is my absolute favorite. In hopes of getting the girls to share in my excitement, I made an extra big deal about the weekend. I kept stressing the point that "this is a very special weekend." Madi caught on and was totally cute about it. When I asked her why it was such a special weekend, her answer was spot on: "cause we get to listen to the prophet and hear the things that Jesus wants us to know."

Friday night I tucked the girls into bed giddy with excitement and anticipation for watching conference the next morning. Then I proceeded to the kitchen to make cinnamon rolls for the very first time. I figured an extra special treat could add to the fun of a special weekend! They ended up being a hit and will most likely be a Conference weekend tradition. But next time I'm making them Saturday morning. Even though they came out of the oven at 9:30pm, I couldn't help but immediately devour a couple.

The weekend turned out to be just what I needed. It had been a rough couple weeks for me- feeling tired from the mundane life of a mom, exhausted from taking care of my 3 kids every need, angry at the messes created minutes after a room had been cleaned, frustrated with the girls constantly throwing their clothes all over the floor, and feeling inadequate with cooking and meal planning. Conference always leaves me feeling motivated, with a desire to be better, try harder, and make a difference. I'd like to say that the girls were just as touched and moved by the messages shared, but truthfully, the novelty of the Bingo boards, coloring sheets, drawing pages, and cinnamon rolls lasted no more than the first hour of Saturday session! While they undoubtedly understood very little of what was being said, I think they felt how special it was to be able to see and hear our prophet and the other general authorities.

Saturday morning bingo boards and coloring

Sunday morning lego building

I loved all the drawings my girls did during conference. Any guesses on what speaker Madi was watching as she drew this picture? She did a pretty accurate job in my opinion!

Other things I loved about the weekend:
-Running 7 miles (in 57 min) Saturday morning (had to work off those cinnamon rolls)!

-Seeing 2 super happy, excited little girls - eager to put dresses on, fix their hair, and sit down to watch conference.

-Visiting Lindsey and baby Alexa at the hospital Saturday afternoon. Madi was excited to come along and reminisce about the last time she came to the hospital 6 months ago.

-Snuggling between my two girls for a "popcorn movie night" while Spencer was away at Priesthood session. They felt completely spoiled getting to stay up til 8pm!

-Family walk between Sunday sessions

-Dinner at Boppi and Grandpa Al's after second session on Sunday.

-Meal planning with Spencer Sunday night. This was a big deal for me and made a huge difference in my mood this afternoon. Already knowing what we'd be eating for dinner took away my usual late afternoon stress. And even better- I know what I'm making the rest of the week and already have all the ingredients for all the meals! Why haven't we done this sooner?!